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University of California.

G-IFX OF

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BY WILLIAM E. PABOR

AUTHOR OF COLORADO AS AN AGRICULTURAL STATE.'

GOD ALMIGHTY FIRST PLANTED A GARDEN, AND INDEED IT is THE PUREST OF ALL HUMAN PLEASURES.

IT IS THE GREATEST REFRESHMENT OF THE SPIRITS OF MAN, WITHOUT WHICH BOILDINGS AND PALACES ARE
BUT GROSS HANDIWORKS, AND MAN SHALL EVER SEE THAT WHEN AGES GROW TO CIVfllTY AND ELEGANCE,
MEN COME TO BUILD STATELY SOONER THAN TO GARDEN 'FINELY, AS IF GARDENING WERE THE GREATEST
•PERFECTION.— LORD BACON.

DENVER:

W. E. PABOR, PUBLISHER.

DOVE & TEMPLE, BOOK & JOB PRINTERS.

1883.

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PREFATORY NOTE.

"What is it ? Only a handful of earth, to your touch
A dry, rough powder, you trample beneath your feet ;

Dark and lifeless ; but think for a moment, how much
It hides and holds that is beautiful, bitter or sweet."

of the earth cometh vine and plant, bush and tree,

to bless mankind, "and there's no more beautiful riddle
the whole world round" for man to study than the mystery
of fruit culture.

This, in Colorado, is in its infancy. We have but touched
the border-land of possibilities. We see, through the mists
of the present, the fruit-lands of the future ; but whether
they lie on the fair slopes and in the beautiful vallies of our
eastern border, or in the new and untried vallies beyond the
range on the Pacific slope, in Gunnison, Uncompahgre,
and Grand vallies along our western border, who shall be
daring enough to say positively ? For fifteen years fruit
culture has been an experiment with many, whose opinions
are grouped together in this Manual. And yet, who can
declare that he has mastered the difficulties that surround
the subject or can advise with perfect safety ?

The Jeweler takes gems from many mines, and with
Iceen lapidarian skill, after a season of labor presents to the
eye a necklace or a tiara flashing in brilliancy and perfect
in color. But the gems he did not create. He was but a
master workman, worthy of credit only in so far as his skill
lias been shown.

So the compiler of this little pamphlet claims for it no
merit as to any originality of his own. He has but brought
into compact shape and easy form the varied experience

6 Prefatory Note.

of those who have learned a little in the field of horticul-
ture and have been willing to tell it by word of mouth or
motion of pen to others, seeking some rays of light in the
shadowed land of doubt and uncertainty.

In the hope that it may prove of service to all who are
engaged in, or propose to enter upon the pleasant occupa-
tion of Fruit Culture, the compiler permits this little pam-
phlet to go forth as evidence of his own love for, and firm,
faith in, the future of Fruit Culture in Colorado.

W. E. P.

Shady-side, Argyle Park, near Denver, Colo., Jan., 1883.

DUCHESS OF OLDENBURCH.

Grown and For Sale by

R. G. CHASE & CO., Nurserymen,

GENEVA, N. Y.

APPLES.

"Come, let us plant the apple tree.
Cleave the tough greensward with the spade ;
Wide let its hollow bed be made ;
There gently lay the roots, and there
Sift the dark mold with kindly care

And press it o'er them tenderly ;
As 'round the sleeping infant's feet
We softly fold the cradle sheet,

So plant we the apple tree." —Henry W. Longfellow.

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

S the garden was the first habitation in which we are
told Man was placed, so the apple is the first fruit of
which mention is made as flourishing in it. And, while it
is supposed to have been the cause of his banishment from
the home first given him, it is to be stated to the credit of
this fruit, that it followed him out of the Garden of Eden
and has kept him company and been a solace to him all
through his wanderings over the earth, in almost every zone
and under the most adverse circumstances, thereby endeavor-
ing to atone, as far as lay in its power, for the trouble it
originally caused.

Many centuries passed before "varieties" were cata-
logued. Even up to the time of Pliny, the Roman historian,
but a score or so were named by the pomologists of that
era. In these later days we are given, by such undoubted
authority as Professor Warder, a list of over two thousand
from which to select ; varieties adapted to every month in
the year, of every conceivable flavor, size, shape, color.

The value of the apple, considered apart from its
market value, is well set forth by a correspondent of Cole-
man's Rural World, while discussing the apple for its health-

8 Fruit Culture.

giving properties. "As an article of food they rank with
the potato, and on account of the variety of ways in which
they may be served, they are far preferable, to the taste of
many persons ; and if families would only substitute ripe,
luscious apples, for pies, cakes, candies and preserved fruits,
there would be much less sickness among the children, and
the saving in this one item alone would purchase many bar-
rels of apples. They have an excellent effect upon the whole
physical system, feeding the brain as well as adding to the
flesh and keeping the blood pure ; also preventing constipa-
tion and correcting a tendency to acidity, which produces
rheumatism and neuralgia. They will cool off the fevered
condition of the system ; in fact, they are far better for these
purposes than the many nostrums which are so highly
praised in the advertisements and so constantly purchased
by sufferers. A ripe, raw apple is entirely digested in an
hour and a half, while the boiled potato takes twice that
time."

THE APPLE IN COLORADO.

What was said by Joseph Wolff, of Boulder County,
in 1872, as regards success and failure in fruit culture in
Colorado, is as true to-day as it was then ; though we have
this advantage over those earlier days, that we have an
experience covering ten years or more by which to guide
our steps as we cautiously feel our way forward. He wrote :
" Fruit culture in Colorado is now a system of experiment-
ing, and must for years be largely in that condition, until
experience shall determine what varieties to plant, the kind
of soil required, the proper tillage, irrigation, mulching,
fertilizers, etc. My own opinion is that Colorado will yet
rival any of the Middle States in the production of fruits,
and, for one, I propose to keep on trying till I succeed." In
this laudable work he has continued — to his credit be it
said — unto this day. How much more worthy would he
be of honor from the hearts of those who are struggling in

Apples. 9

these fruit experimental fields, were he but as ready to write
of his experience now as as he was ten years ago,

Said Major Henry McAlister, of Colorado Springs, in
an address on Apple Culture in Colorado before the El Paso
Horticultural Society, in January, 1882: "There is no longer
any doubt that apples can be grown successfully in all that
portion of Colorado east of the mountains. The experience
of a number of persons both in the northern and southern
sections of the State justifies the belief that, within ten
years, the Colorado demand for apples will be fully met
with Colorado-grown fruit. It is true that much experi-
mentation must still be practised before the fifll capabilities
of our soil and climate are learned, but enough is known to
make the planting of an apple orchard a matter attended no
longer with any considerable risk, provided that in doing so
the advice be taken of those whose experience during the
past ten or fifteen years have resulted in complete success.
Although I have no doubt that the list of apples that can
be grown to advantage in Colorado will be very much en-
larged by future experiments, I believe that there are many
kinds now grown very successfully east of the Mississippi
that will not do well in the peculiar climate of the Rocky
Mountain .region."

LOCATION AND SOIL.

We group together the advice, given on this important
•subject, by those who have thus far come under our obser-
vation in the public prints or in private correspondence.

J. W. COOK : The best location for an orchard is on
upland, with a gentle slope to the east or south. Apple
trees, however, will not grow on land subject to seepage.
The trees should be set close together and should be made
to branch out near the ground so as to protect the trunk
from the burning rays of the sun.

J. H. NEWCOMB : Any grouud that will grow soap-weed,
sage-brush, or buffalo-grass will grow trees if under water
and proper tillage.

io Fruit Culture.

J. N. CARNOHAN : Clay upland soil, well matured, is the
best. Clay will hold the trees solid.

A. N. HOAG : I favor a soil that is a clay loam with
porous clay sub-soil undulated with shale. My orchard is
on land sloping south on quite a hill-side.

JESSE FRAZIER : My orchard is on what is termed second
bottom land, mostly ; part of it is on first bottom ; these
last are not in so thriving a condition, and apparently are
not doing so well as those that are on the upland soil.

HENRY McAusxER, JR. : In planting my trees I take
great pains in preparing the ground. The soil of my gar-
den is fully three feet deep. A hole is dug six feet in diam-
eter and five feet deep. The top soil is thrown to one side
and two feet of gravel carted out to repair the street or side-
walk. In place of the latter I put good soil mixed with
rotten manure. When the excavation is nearly filled up I
have put in the trees, and, after arranging the roots in their
natural condition, throw in the top soil first removed, sett-
ling the earth around the roots by throwing upon it a few
buckets of water. Trees so planted will do well, even on
light ground, without more than one or two irrigations a
year, although twice as many will not injure them.

J. S. PERKEY : Prepare your ground for planting fruit
trees in the fall of the year. Choose a north slope, if pos-
sible, plowing trenches eighteen inches deep with the slope
of the ground. By plowing the trenches the sub-soil is
exposed, freezing and thawing in the winter ; and by plant-
ing time in the spring it has become pulverized and is in a
fit condition to be placed about the roots of the trees. Leave
about six inches of pulverized earth in the bottom of the
trench where the tree is to be planted ; set the tree in and
place each root in its natural position. Fill in about three
inches of fine earth and throw half a pail of water upon itr
that the earth may settle close about the roots. Fill the
trench about two-thirds full of dirt, tread it lightly, that the

Apples. 1 1

tree may stand firm, then plow the trenches full, level with
a harrow, taking care not to bark the trees.

G. W. WEBSTER : Colorado soil is rich enough for apple
culture, just as it is, if enough water is used. There is no
necessity for manuring; but if you must do it, leave the
manure on the top of the ground for one year, and then
spade or plow under.

D. S. GRIMES: In this, as in other States, nature, when
well studied, will furnish reliable evidence as to best loca-
tion in her own tree planting. We find her best specimens
growing on a northern exposure, grading east and west. A
northern exposure furnishes a more even temperature, is not
precipitated into an unreasonable or dangerous growth in
early spring. The soil retains coolness and moisture — two
essential conditions to tree growing. The eastern exposure
catches the warm morning sun, starting early the growth,
which, as the sun recedes in the west, is gradually prepared
for the cool atmosphere of nightfall. In the western ex-
posure we find conditions in many respects resembling
those of the north. A southern exposure, on account of
bad winds and the effects of the sun, is the most unfavor-
able for trees but good for vines. Lowland located near
streams of water, or where a wet, cold subsoil exists, is very
unfavorable to the growth of fruit trees. In regard to soil,
it is generally good enough in Colorado in its natural state,
but the alluvial soil found near the mountains is undoubt-
edly the best. The soil requires no manure until the trees
come into bearing. Trees in full fruiting draw heavily on
the soil, and a corresponding feeding, or fertilizing, is re-
quired to insure perfect crops.

PLANTING AND CULTIVATION.

Says Mr. J. H. Newcomb, giving hints on transplant-
ing: " In setting out fruit of any kind a person should select
high and naturally well-drained ground, that can be irri-
gated and has been worked one or two seasons. Plow or

12 Fruit Culture,

make cross furrows first, the distance at which you want to
set, then plow the distance the other way, and where you
wish to have your water run, dig holes larger and deeper
than is required. As freshly stirred ground is a big advan-
tage, take your trees as fast as you are ready for them from
the heel. Cutting the tops back is beneficial, but in all
cases pay attention to the roots ; be sure and cut off all the
bruised roots; look at them carefully, and if the ends have
begun to kill back, cut till you come to good, sound,
healthy wood, then fill up your hole with top dirt till your
tree will set as deep, or perhaps an inch deeper, than it did
in the nursery. Set your tree in, throw in your dirt, and if
the ground is damp enough tread it well, being careful to
have it solid next the crown so no air can get in ; throw a
little loose dirt over the tramping, and you are done. Do
not hill up to them."

The following instructions are given by D. S. Grimes :
In planting trees the holes should be of sufficient size to
admit the roots in a natural position, without bending or
cramping. Pare off with a sharp knife all broken or bruised
roots, sloping from the underside. Do not suffer the roots
to become dry ; the small fibres are the feeders, the large
roots holding the tree in place. Fresh manure placed in
direct contact with the roots is injurious and dangerous. Cut
back the tops in proportion to the loss of roots in digging,
•say one-third. Place the heaviest part of the top of the
tree to the south-west, or about where the two o'clock sun
will strike the trunk. A stave or stake driven on that side
will prove a good protection against the scorching rays of
the sun, which kills more trees than the cold.

As regards the proper time to plant, there is a differ-
ence of opinion. Some favor spring, others regard the fall
as the best time. J. W. Cook favors the latter method. Mr.
J. H. Newcomb says that unless in very protected localities
he advises planting in spring as early as trees can be pro-
cured, in case there is sufficient moisture; otherwise as soon

Apples. 13.

as water is in the ditches. J. W. Cook holds to the theory
of fall planting. His method is as follows : Plow very deep
and set on grade. Draw a chain on the ground to make a
mark for the trees and set them about an inch deeper than
they were in the nursery. Pack the ground, and afterward
there may be planted between them some hoed crop, but
no grain. Branch within six or twelve inches of the ground ;.
head low and use no manure. It is well to mulch some
around the trees to keep the sun from burning them. Cold
does not hurt trees. It is the dry air and hot sun.

The distance apart to set trees has not yet been authen-
tatively established. J. W. Cook says set trees twelve feet
apart each way ; they do better thick and bear better than if
set too far apart. Mr. Jesse's Frazier's orchard has them
set sixteen feet apart, the trees not set opposite each otherv
but in this style :

* * * * * * *

******

Mr. J. H. Newcomb says standard apple trees should
be fifteen feet apart each way. Mr. D. L. Tracy gives three
lists of varieties that should be set 40, 30 and 20 feet apart,,
as follows :

FORTY FEET. — Yellow Belle Flower, Ben Davis, Wine
Sap, Northern Spy, Talman's and Golden Sweet.

THIRTY FEET. — Rambo, Russett, Jonathan, Early Har-
vest.

TWENTY FEET. — Red June, Early Joe, Summer Pear-
main, Red Astrachan, Tetofski.

Jesse Frazier cultivates as follows : In the spring he
plows the soil between the trees to a depth of four inches
and cultivates through the season enough to keep down the
weeds. A furrow is run between every row and water ap-
plied up to as late in the season as water can be obtained.
In the spring he is governed by the kind of winter that has
passed. If a wet one, no irrigation is likely to be required
until late in the spring. He aims, when irrigating, to soak

14 Fruit Culture.

all the ground thoroughly, and considers this method essen-
tial to success. All his trees are low headers, obtaining
thereby as little trunk as possible ; the branches effectually
shading the trunk from the sun. There is not a wind-break
about the orchard. Many trees in his orchard are nearly a
foot in diameter, and all through the orchard can be seen
limbs broken off by the weight of fruit they bore.

Mr. Anson Rudd, who commenced experimental fruit
culture as early as 1864, for a long time met with no suc-
cess; but this did not discourage him, and he has now a
nice little orchard of about two hundred trees. His land is
level, and he keeps it in clover, believing that it is a great
protection. His trees grow low, many of the branches,
when the fruit is on them, laying on the ground. He applies
salt in abundance and believes that too much cannot be
scattered on the soil about the trunks of the trees.

Mr. J. S. Perkey says that for the first three years an
apple orchard could be profitably planted to corn, besides
being of benefit to the trees, shading them from the sun
and protecting them from the wind. This prevents blast-
ing. He also recommends leaving stalks standing, as a
good winter protection, causing the snow to lodge where
the wind will not sweep it away.

As regards size and age of trees, Mr. J. H. Newcomb
gives the following advice: Trees that have obtained the
height of five to seven feet, comparatively stocky, if but two
years old so much the better, of well-matured, ripe wood,
are, in my opinion, the best to plant ; younger trees are apt
to be not sufficiently hardened up to transfer, and older are
liable to have further back-set. They can easily be taken
up at that size and age with a tree-plow, retaining nearly
all of their roots, and, if they have not been hurt in hand-
ling, start at once.

Apples. 15

IRRIGATION.

We group the following opinions on this important
subject :

A. N. HOAG : Apple trees require only a moderate share
of water.

J. N. CARNOHAN : Irrigate slowly. Too much water,
run fast, washes the roots bare. Remember, the ground
when cultivated is consequently loose and washes easy.

W. F. WATROUS : My practice has been to use all the
water necessary to keep trees in a vigorous, growing con-
dition from the time they start in spring up to about the
middle of August. Then use no more water until late in
the fall.

D. S. GRIMES : We have verified the wisdom of this
practice (Mr. Watrous's) by withholding water and cultiva-
tion in August from some rows and thoroughly watering
and cultivating other rows. The first rows made a fine,
heavy growth, ripening up their wood perfectly. The last
made a heavy growth, did not cease growing until Septem-
ber, and consequently did not ripen up their wood nor pass
safely through the following winter. I use but a small
stream of water while irrigating. You can thus soak the
ground thoroughly without washing the furrows ; but be
sure and remember that fruit trees will not grow in a
swamp. Too much water is bad medicine.

J. C. WOODBURY : Many who attempt to grow apples
spoil their trees by irrigating too much. Water should be
used sparingly, from early spring until late fall, when plenty
could be applied to prepare the tree to go into winter
quarters.

G. W. WEBSTER : Apply water liberally the first year,
say every week ; afterward every two or three weeks until
the trees are well established, when once or twice during
the season is sufficient.

JOE WOLFF : Orchards should be thoroughly irrigated
late in the fall. No matter how wet the winter may be, it

1 6 Fruit Culture.

cannot injure the tree. No matter how dry it be, thorough
irrigation late in the fall will save the trees and keep them
ready for a vigorous start in the spring.

G. W. WEBSTER: The cause of winter killing is drouth.
The more water given in the fall the better. I once had my
whole orchard under ice one entire winter and did not lose
a single tree.

J. S. PERKEY : Before freezing weather sets in the or-
chard should be thoroughly irrigated, that the ground may
retain its moisture through the winter.

PERRY WHITE : Give trees lots of water in the fall for
winter safety. My plan is as follows : When the leaves be-
gin to fall, soak the orchard in water, giving the ground as
much as it will hold. Then the tree is always plump and
does not shrivel up.

In Utah, according to a correspondent of the Utah
Farmer, where orchards are watered early in the season and
the ground saturated while the leaves are young and tender,
the trees are liable to be injured, for the reason that the
feeders are in active operation, and too much moisture forced
into the young and tender leaf bursts its vessels and renders
it of little use. If this excessive watering is kept up the
whole of the growing season, the tree becomes sickly and
will show a discolored leaf the following spring.

WIND BREAKS.

Opinions differ as to the advisability of wind-breaks.
The largest orchard in the State, that of Mr. Jesse Frazier,.
at Florence, Fremont County, has no wind-break whatever,,
and he declared to the writer of this that the outside rows
of trees in his orchard, most exposed to storms, always
yielded the best.

J. W. Cook, of Arvada, who, however, is better author-
ity on grapes than on apples, says : In setting out an orchard
the wind-break should be set on the west and north sides
to protect the trees from the sharp, drying winds of winter

Apples. 17

and spring. Undoubtedly the best tree for this purpose, as
well as for fencing, is the honey locust. In four or five
years the honey locust will, make not only a most effectual
wind-break, but a fence that neither man nor beast will go
through. It is a rapid grower, and the wood makes excel-
lent fence posts and firewood.

Mr. Anson Rudd, who resides at Canon City, in the
Arkansas Valley, says that the storms that strike his sec-
tion of country generally come from the south-east and are
often very severe and cold ; but he has observed that the
sides of the trees that face these storms are always the
heaviest growers ; thus confirming the experience of Mr.
Frazier, who lives in the same valley, ten miles further from
the foothills than Mr. Rudd.

G. W. Webster, of Longmont, Boulder County, says
his experience has taught him to do as they do in Utah
and California, to use no other wind-break than the apple
trees themselves, planting the outward row of an orchard
twice as close as those on the inside. No high wind-breaks,
he says, are needed in Colorado.

PRUNING.

A. N. HOAG : In pruning I sometimes rub off the col-
lar sprouts in summer ; while my main pruning is done in
December.

J. S. PERKEY : Never forget to give your trees a thorough
top trimming each year. Thus a low-headed, sound-bodied,
and well-rooted tree is obtained.

J. H. NEWCOMB : I prefer pruning in young trees as they
are growing, pinching back the ends of limbs with thumb
and finger, and brushing off with the hand buds as they
appear where they are not wanted to grow.

D. S. GRIMES : Prune a tree in the way it should gro w
— from the top of the future tree, while young. Little
branches, like little faults, leave no scars if corrected in
infancy, but the cutting away of large limbs to correct early

1 8 Fruit Culture.

mistakes, leads to disease, decay and death. In this coun-
try of scorching suns and drying winds prune sparingly but
judiciously.

LATE FROSTS.

Henry McAlister, Jr., says on this subject : " It may
not be generally known that there are varieties of apples
whose blossoms are not in the least injured by frost, or even
by hard freezing. In Colorado, where we so frequently have
late frosts, it is essential that we should select such kinds of
apples as are not injured thereby. Having learned that June
frosts are of common occurrence in the northern part of
New England, I recently wrote to a gentleman living near
Montpelier, Vermont, who is much interested in fruit grow-
ing, for his experience upon this subject. In his answer he
says, ' I have long since discarded all varieties of apples that
are injured by late frosts. I find that if the blossoms of the
Fameuse, Wealthy, Tetofski, Yellow Transparent, and a few
other varieties, be frozen stiff on the trees, it does not in the
least degree lessen their crop of apples or injure the fruit in
any way.' A friend sends me a late number of the Vermont
Watchman and State Journal which contains a letter from
a lady living in Milan, New Hampshire, complaining of the
difficulty of raising apples on account of June frosts, which
are frequent and severe in that locality, and kills the bloom
and causes the apples to fall off. She wishes to know if
there are any kinds that are not injured by such freezing.
The editor, an experienced horticulturist, answers as follows :
'There are ; and last June gave us as severe a test as is ever
likely to occur. But of more than one hundred varieties
that blossomed last spring the following sorts seemed en-
tirely unaffected, and produced nine-tenths of all the apples
we had — of summer fruit, Tetofski and Yellow Transparent ;
of fall apples, Peach Apple, Duchess of Oldenburg and
Pringle Sweet ; of winter apples, Fameuse, Wealthy, and
Scott's Winter.' "

Apples. 19

DAMAGE DONE IN SUMMER.

Mr. J. W. COOK : The hot sun of summer frequently
burns the trees black. It leaves them with but little vitality.
The greatest damage is done in August. A little vitality is
left, just enough to support the tree for a short time, and
then the cold of winter is unjustly charged with doing the
•damage. It is the hot sun that causes the fire blight on the
top of the tree. The body is not affected, at first, but it
gradually dies down to the root. South and east slopes are
preferable for wind-breaks. Such positions break the harsh,
dry winds of the north and west.

WINTER PROTECTION.

Mr. J. S. FLORY, of Longmont, furnishes the following
as his experience in the care of fruit trees during the winter :
'" To make fruit-raising a success in Northern Colorado we
must know how to save our trees through the winter ; if we
•succeed in this, all is well. Yes, says one, there is where
all the trouble comes in ; the young trees die through the
•winter or in early spring. So they will if the body is not
protected from the hot rays of the sun. What kills three-
fourths of the trees that die is the hot rays of the sun beat-
ing upon the south-west side of the trunk of the tree, heat-
ing the trunk and sap, and then at night a severe freeze
•comes, and the tree is ruined. I have seen trees of good size
that were thus killed on the south side as if scorched by
fire, the bark peeling off and the tree finally dying. Some-
times a hot wind will also cause trees to die. Now for the
remedy, which is simply to protect the trunk or body of the
tree every winter until the branches are sufficient to shade
the body. This is readily done by taking tar paper, such
as is used in building, cut it in strips long enough to reach
from the ground to the branches of the tree, and with heavy
twine or wire, such as is used in binding grain, loosely tie
strips of paper around the tree, having first bent them so as
to form a kind of hollow tube. This also saves the tree

2O Fruit Culture.

from the depredations of rabbits and the effect of sleet.
When the tree leaves out these strips can be laid aside for
the following fall. Any one who says that this is too much
trouble ought to go without fruit all the days of their life.
To set young trees leaning to the south-west is also advis-
able, that the top will the sooner shade the trunk."

HENRY MCALISTER, JR., in response to enquiries as to
whether or not he protected his trees in the winter, replied:
Only by shading the trunks from the rays of the sun. This
can be done either by placing a broad board against the
south side, or by loosely wrapping the trunk with a strip of
old gunny sack. Building paper coiled very loosely around
the trunk of a tree answers well ; anything to keep off the
sun when the sap is down.

D. M. ROSE : I do not protect my trees further than by
throwing coarse manure around them, as a mulching, early
in the winter ; this keeps them back in the spring, and also
keeps down grass and other injurious growths.

J. S. PERKEY : I advise mulching trees to a depth of
from twelve to eighteen inches after the first hard frost. By
so doing the frost is retained about the roots, thereby pre-
venting a premature rising of the sap and also protecting
the buds from late frosts. I consider mulching very essen-
tial, even in the spring when young trees are planted. Coarse
litter should be used, such as rotten straw, etc., but in no
instance use fresh stable manure. Mulch three or four
inches deep from three to four feet away from the body of
the tree. In addition to protecting the roots near the sur-
face from the intense heat and dry winds which sometimes
prevail during the summer months, the mulching serves as
a fertilizer.

G. W. WEBSTER : Do not protect by wrapping, etc., in
winter. It only makes a tree tender.

D. M. ROSE : Protect your trees by mulching after the
ground freezes. It keeps back blossoming in the spring
until all danger from frost is over.

Apples. 2 1

1880-1881. A WINTER TEST.

The winter of 1 880-81 was exceptionally severe in
Colorado, as elsewhere ; and some varieties of fruit, up to
that time deemed hardy and able to withstand the severe
test of our winter seasons, proved themselves unworthy and
unreliable. In Southern Colorado the following were re-
ported by E. R. Sizer as having been killed :

Keswick Codlin, Early Harvest, Early Pennock, Fall
Winesap and Jonathan.

Those that came out, with him, in good condition, were
the following :

Duchess of Oldenburg, Red Astrachan, St. Lawrence,
'Grimes's Golden, English Russet, Red Canada, Peck's Pleas-
ant, Ben Davis, Baily Sweet, Northern Spy and Perry
Russet.

Mr. Sizer lives in the valley of the Purgatoire, in Bent
County, in the extreme southern part of the State.

Mr. Jesse Frazier reported those showing the greatest
injury as —

Maiden's Blush, Early Harvest, Rawle's Janet, Sweet
Romanite, Keswick Codlin, and Tompkin's County King.

In Northern Colorado, out of seventy-two varieties
grown by D. S. Grimes, the following -only came out in good
condition :

Red Astrachan, Saps of Wine, Tetofski, Duchess of
Oldenburg, Summer Queen, Alexander, Wealthy, Fameuse
or Snow Apple, Haas, Porter, Ben Davis, E. G. Russet, Perry
Russet, Tanver, Missouri Pippin, Northern Spy, Pewaukee,
Stark, Little Red Romanite, Walbridge.

DWARFS.

Mr. E. B. COSSON, of Colorado Springs, is strongly of
the belief that dwarf and dwarf standard apples are em-
inently preferable to standards, and particularly for garden
culture.

22 Fruit Culture.

Among the advantages of the dwarf trees, he says, may
be cited the following :

First — (and this, in Barry's estimation, is the greatest)
the freedom of short trunks from insect troubles.

Second — (and in Colorado probably the most worthy
of consideration) they are less exposed to the wind.

Third — They are more accessible for management and
gathering of fruit.

Fourth — They suffer less from extremes of hot and cold
and sudden changes of weather.

Fifth — They bear much earlier.

Sixth — They produce larger and finer fruit.

Seventh — They occupy less space, allowing a greater
variety of fruit to be grown on a limited area.

Eighth — They are more in harmony with the surround-
ings, and are in keeping with the rest of the garden.

On the other hand, JESSE FRAZIER, whose long experi-
ence is a warrant that his opinions are worthy of consider-
ation, does not think dwarfs of much account. They re-
quire so much attention, he says, as standards, and do not
bear so well.

MR. D. S. GRIMES: Dwarf apples are admissible in
crowded city lots where ornament rather than profit is the
object mainly sought. They come into bearing early, but
are short-lived.

VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR NORTHERN COLORADO.

By D. S. GRIMES. — Summer Apples : Red Astrachan,.
Duchess of Oldenburg, Saps of Wine.

Fall Apples : Fameuse, Alexander, Haas, Queen.

Winter Apples : Ben Davis, Wealthy, Walbridge, Mis-
souri Pippin, Pewaukee, Little Red Romanite, Perry Russet..

By J: H. NEWCOMB.— Summer: Early Harvest, Duchess
of Oldenburg, Red Astrachan, Tetofski.

Fall: Fall Pippen, Fall Wine, Rambo, Maiden's Blush

Apples. 23

Winter: Ben Davis, White Winter Pearmain, Wine Sap,
Northern Spy.

By M. N. EVERETT. — Summer: Red Astrachan, Duchess
of Oldenburg, Early Harvest, Queen.

Fall : Fameuse, Autumn Strawberry, Tetofski.

Winter: Ben Davis, Jonathan, White Winter Pearmain.

By WILLIAM LEE.— Summer: Golden Sweet, Duchess
of Oldenburg, Tetofski, Red Astrachan.

Fall: Summer Queen, Pryor's Sweet, Maiden's Blush,
Fameuse.

Winter: Blue Pearmain, White Winter Pearmain, Ben
Davis, Jonathan.

By • FARMERS' INSTITUTE, FORT COLLINS. — Summer :
Duchess of Oldenburg, Red Astrachan.

Winter: Ben Davis, White Winter Pearmain, Wagnes,
Jonathan.

VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR SOUTHERN COLORADO.

By JESSE FRAZIER. — Summer: Jeffries, Duchess of Old-
enburg, Early Harvest, Red Astrachan.

Fall: Cole's Quince, Sweet Pear, Jonathan, Fameuse
or Snow Apple.

Winter : Ben Davis, Wine Sap, Willow Twig, Rambo,
Genitan.

By ANSON RUDD. — Summer : Red Astrachan.

Fall: Sweet Pear, Fall Pippen.

Winter : Willow Twig, Genitan, Ben Davis.

By H. McALiSTER, Jr. — Summer : Duchess of Olden-
burg, Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, Tetofski.

Fall: Fameuse.

Winter: Ben Davis, Yellow Transparent, Wealthy,
Walbridge, Pewaukee.

By D. M. ROSE. — Ben Davis, Duchess of Oldenburg,
Horse, Fameuse, Early Harvest, Red Astrachan, Little Red
Romanite. But any variety grown in Iowa or Illinois can
be grown in Colorado.

24 Fruit Culture.

By W. A. HELM. — Genitan, Winesap, Red Astrachan,
Ben Davis.

By CRAWFORD & CHASE. — Yellow Transparent, Wealthy,
Walbridge, Mclntosh Red, Duchess of Oldenubrg, Pewau-
kee, Red Astrachan.-

A SUGGESTIVE LIST OF VARIETIES FOR A TWO-ACRE
ORCHARD IX SOUTHERN COLORADO.

By H. McAosTER, Jr. :
20 Duchess of Oldenburg. 5 Pewaukee.
15 Tetofski. 10 Wealthy.

10 Yellow Transparent. 10 Fameuse.

5 Pringle Sweet. 5 Ben Davis.

10 Red Astrachan. 5 Little Red Romanite.

5 Mclntosh Red.

VARIETIES LIKELY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

Scott's Winter and Magog Redstreak come highly rec-
ommended from Northern Iowa ; also by W. C. Barry, of
New York, and by Dr. Hoskins, of Vermont, as possessing
the combined qualities of hardiness and productiveness.

Early June. Trees in Mr. E. B. Stark's garden at Colo-
rado Springs bore at an age of five years. This tree blos-
soms late in the season. Mr. D. S. Grimes, however, does
not recommend it for Northern Colorado.

WINTER APPLES.

We are not able to agree with Major Henry McAlister,
who has expressed an opinion that the people of Southern
Colorado (or of Northern either) should confine themselves
to growing the summer and fall varieties, for the reason
that the winter apple can be so cheaply brought in from the
East. This is the very thing the people of the State ought
to prevent, and so keep thousands of dollars from going
out of the State yearly to enrich Missouri, Michigan, Iowa,
Kansas and Nebraska apple-growers. If there was any

Apples. 25

reasonable doubt that winter apples could not be grown,
and to a profit, the case would be altered. As it is, it is the
worst kind of advice to give to fruit culturists, or to be
placed upon the records of a County Horticultural Society,
.and we hope to see it recalled at an early day.

THE APHIS.

While, as yet, apple trees in Colorado have not been
troubled with insects to any great, extent, there is no know-
ing how soon they may be attacked by the Aphis tribe.
Hence it will not be out of place to present the insect to
our readers, and give the remedies recommended, as we find
them in a treatise on insects injurious to fruit trees, issued
by authority of the California State Board of Horticultural
Commissioners.

The Woolly Aphis, or Apple Tree Aphis, named Aphis
Mali by Packard, and by Figuier Myzoxle Mali, is thus de-
scribed : This insect is of a dark, russet brown color, with
the upper part of the abdomen covered with very long white
down. This species of aphis, according to M. Blot, can
only exist on the apple tree. Carried away and placed on
another tree it soon perishes. It does not attack the blos-
som, the fruit, nor the leaves, but fixes itself on the lower
part of the trunk, whence it propagates itself downwards as
far as the roots, underneath the graftings, etc. It also likes
to lodge in the cracks of the trunk and large branches ; but
it generally looks out for a southern and avoids a northern
.aspect. It is not active, walks very little, and its dissemin-
ation from place to place can only be explained by the
facility with which so small an insect can be transported by
the wind, its lightness being still increased by the down
which covers it."

"The Mysoxyli Mali renders the wood knotty, dry,
hard, brittle, and brings on rapidly all the symptoms which
characterize old age and decay in trees attacked."

26 Fruit Culture.

REMEDIES RECOMMENDED.

M. Blot, for preserving the apple trees from this pest,,
says : Employ for the seed-beds the pips of bitter apples,
only; give to the nursery and to the plants only as much
shelter as absolutely necessary; avoid those sites which are
low and damp; encourage the circulation of air and the
dessication of the soil ; surround the foot of each apple tree
with a mixture of soot, tobacco and find sand."

The Aphis has been quite destructive in portions of
Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina and in the South..
In Kansas it is reported as on the increase, and we may
look for it any season in Colorado. Says an exchange : In
the West, saponaceous washes upon trunks and limbs (ex-
posed for the purpose) have been found beneficial. For
trees growing in loose soils one correspondent recommends
mounding up and packing earth around trunks, after apply-
ing the soap-suds. In North Carolina Peruvian Guano is
regarded as a preventive, both by driving the insect away
and invigorating the tree. Washes of soap and Peruvian
and other guanos are used for the branch-infesting form of
this species quite successfully.

DISEASED OR SCABBY TREES.

Remedy: J. S. Perkey. If trees become scabby or dis-
eased, wash them with a weak solution of lye. It kills in-
sects and restores the tree to health.

THE APPLE TREE BORER.

The flat-headed borer is the, at present, dangerous,
enemy to Colorado orchards. It is, when a perfect insect,,
a white striped beetle about three-quarters of an inch long,,
flying at night. It lays its eggs in June, and the worm,,
hatched from these eggs, eats into the wood, where, accord-
ing to D. S. Grimes, it feeds on the soft outer layers, exca-
vating a shallow, round cell under the bark, running up-
wards or around the tree. These cells are always filled with

Apples. 27

worm dust crowded and compacted together, some of which
becomes crowded out through a crack in the bark or a hole
made by the worm. It is by seeing this sawdust-like pow-
der protruding out of the bark that we detect the presence
of these borers in the tree." • It feeds here for about a year,
and has then grown strong enough to attack the solid wood,
into which it bores a cylindrical hole three or four inches,
inclining upwards- towards the centre of the tree, and then
curving outwards until Its upper end comes to the bark.
Here it makes its bed, to repose in during its pupa state.
Shortly afterward it reaches the winged state and crawls out
of the tree.

Remedies must be applied early. At first the insect
may be cu£ out with the point of a knife. If deep in the
wood it may be punched to death in its hole by a flexible
wire. To prevent the insect from laying its eggs in the bark,
apply a wash of strong soap-suds and flour of sulphur
towards the end of spring and early summer ; repeat the
operation if the rains wash this off.

Says D. L. Tracy, of Longmont : The best remedy
against the borer is good soap-suds with a good stout cloth
to rub with. Rub the body and limbs until they shine, at
least once a week.

THE CHERRY.

TTT one of the meetings of the El Paso County Horticul-
/ tural Society, in the early part of the year 1882, the
subject for discussion was the cherry, based upon a paper
read by R. T. Crawford, Esq., of Colorado Springs. This
paper we give in full, for the reason that but little attention
has thus far been given to the culture of this fruit in Colo-
rado, and hence little is known as to the adaptability of our
climate to its successful growth:

" The common cherry tree (prunus cerasus) is of Asiatic
origin, and is, I think, a native of Persia. It was introduced
from there to Italy about seventy years before Christ, and
about 1 20 years afterwards was introduced into Great Britain.
It is now extensively cultivated in the temperate regions of
Europe and America. There are a great many different
varieties. Over three hundred are now reckoned in the
various catalogues, many of which are worthless for culti-
vation compared with the new and improved sorts. The
branches are spreading, horizontal or slightly inclining up-
ward in the larger class of trees, and dropping in the smaller
ones. They are generally divided by nurserymen into two
classes, the Hearts and Bigarreaus, or sweet cherries, and
the Dukes and Morellos, or sour ones. The former are
strong vigorous growers with large leaves, and grow into
large spreading heads or tops, and are best suited for the
purpose of shade. They produce large heart-shaped sweet
fruit, varying in color from a light yellow to a dark purple.

The Dukes and Morellos are of a slow growth, and do
not even attain so large a size, but are much more hardy

The Cherry. 29-

and less liable to become injured by bursting of the bark,,
and generally produce bright and round acid fruit- This is
the class that is so much esteemed for cooking purposes..
On dry soils this class 'of cherries is considered one of the
most profitable fruits grown.

" The cherry will thrive best on a dry sandy or gravelly
soil, and 'tis there it will attain its greatest perfection; but
it does well in almost any situation excepting a wet one. I
consider it one of the most ornamental of all fruit trees,
which, with its delicious fruit, beauty and shade, makes it
very desirable for planting near dwellings where all three of
these objects are so much sought for. The cherry is best
propagated by grafting on seedings of the wild cherry, of
which there are several varieties, most of which are too well
known to describe (the choke cherry, for instance). The
wood is much used in the manufacture of cabinet ware.

"Although both classes are successfully grown in the
eastern states, I find that the Duke and Morello class are
best adapted to the soil, climate and altitude of Colorado,,
although I know of several trees of the large class growing
on our town site. They are, however in sheltered positions,
and receive more than ordinary care. We have on our
place somewhat over seventy-five trees growing, all of the
Morello class, and all composed of but two varieties which
I consider the most profitable and reliable, viz : Early Rich-
mond and Mt Morency. There are several others of this
class that I am satisfied will do well here, as Reine Hortense,
Belle Magnifique, May Duke, Late Duke. These are all
hardy and similar in growth. I am much pleased with the
growth, averaging at least three feet in a season and re-
markably healthy and free from blemish. I do not consider
the Heart and Bigarreau class safe to plant here yet, although
I believe the time will come when they can be successfully
grown, for I believe that here, as in other parts of the coun-
try, as civilization advances and trees are planted, the climate
will undergo a change more favorable to the growth of the

30 Fruit Culture.

tenderer varieties of fruit. I do not consider that the cherry
requires much pruning after the first two seasons, nor then
unless it be to form the branches into low and spreading
heads ; afterward an occasional cutting out of any cross
branches is all that is necessary. The best to transplant
are two-year old trees, and they are usually from four to six
feet in height.

" I find, however, that some parties here have not met
with success in making their cherry trees bear. The diffi-
culty lies in forcing their growth by application of fertilizers
and wrater, thus causing a luxuriant growth of wood and
foliage, which prevents the formation of fruit buds. After
your tree has attained bearing size, cease cultivating for
awhile and thus check the growth, and you will find that
they will bear you good crops.

" From my own experience and observations I consider
the following varieties best adapted to our section and best
to plant. The two first-named are much superior in size
and quality to the others : Mt. Morency, Early Richmond,
.May Duke, Reine Hortense, Late Duke, English Morello."

In the discussion that followed the article, Mr. Parsons
said that the cherry tree, as a rule, was not as hardy as other
fruit trees.

Messrs. Hogue, Crawford, Snyder and others present
said that they thought the severity of last winter should
not discourage the planting of cherries, as the winter was
an unusually hard one on all fruit trees.

It was generally agreed that too much water was the
ill that many cherries suffered from ; that they needed only
about as much water as the grape.

Mr. Crawford said that after cherry trees were in full
bearing he thought they should be cultivated very little.

In a communication to the Denver Times, Mr. D. S.
Grimes comments as follows upon Cherry Culture in Colo-
rado : " Many varieties of the cherry, pear and plum succeed
better in Colorado than they do in the western states bor-

The Cherry. 3 1

dering on the Mississippi Valley. The original stock of
the cherry, now multiplied by hundreds, was from the dry
regions of continental Asia — a country similar in many
respects to our own. The Lieb Cherry, now found as hardy
as a crab apple, was brought to this country from the Hartz
Mountains in Europe, an interior region near the fifty-second
parallel of north latitude.

It is a waste of time and money to plant the Hart, a
sweet cherry, in the north. The Dukes are reasonably-
hardy, of rapid growth, and sometimes bear fair crops of
fruit. The Early Richmond is regarded by the entire fruit-
growing fraternity, as the one indispensable cherry.

The English Morello is rather a slow grower, but on
this account seems hardy as an oak. It comes into bearing
the earliest of all, frequently producing fruit the same sea-
son it is planted in the orchard. It ripens its fruit two
weeks later than the Early Richmond, is of larger size,
quite acid, firm in flesh, less juicy than the Richmond, and
on the latter account infinitely better for canning than the
latter. The color of the fruit is glossy red, almost black,
very handsome indeed. For the market it proves very
salable and profitable, bearing transportation well. For
some reason, probably on account of its acidity, the Eng-
lish Morello is nearly free from the depredations of the
birds.

Any one having the early Richmond, English Morello
and Lieb, a Plum Stone Morello, in his fruit garden, is as
well supplied as the conditions of our climate, summer and
winter, will permit.

Cherries, says Mr. Grimes, should be budded on the
Mahalel stock. This stock dwarfs the tree and does not
sprout, comes into bearing third year from bud, while those
on the Mazzard stock commence fruiting in six years, and
on the Morello stock' in eight to ten years. The latter
sprouts from the roots badly:

J. W. Cook says that the cherries belonging to the

32 Fruit Culture.

Morello family universally do well in Colorado.- About
every house there should be at least a few trees of this
delicious fruit.

Jesse Frazier has succeeded well with the Early Rich-
mond and the English Morello. A sweet cherry, known
as the Governor Wood, has given fruit, but he does not
think it a success sufficient to recommend it. Mr. D. S.
Grimes, however, places it on his list of leading varieties.

Says Mr. A. N. Hoag: My cherry trees are from one to
six years old. The .little sour Morello stands the climate
very well. They require mulching, to keep them back in
the spring. Some of my trees are five inches through and
ten to twelve inches high. The trees have borne for three
years.

W. A. Nelson does not believe that any of the sweet
varieties will succeed in Colorado. Has the Early Rich-
mond in bearing. Birds take all the fruit, he says, anyway.

The following are recommended by D. S. Grimes :
Early Richmond. English Morello.

Lieb Montmorency. May Duke.

Governor Wood.

He adds: Rich soil and constant irrigation are destruction
to cherry trees.. They will not bear high feeding or too
much water.

D. M. Rose : I have cherry trees eight years old and
bearing excellent fruit. The varieties are Early Richmond
and the English Morello.

INTRODUCED AND FOR SALE BY

WM. PARRY,

PARRY P.O., N.J

Ctu'tbirt.lith. afi

PEARS.

INTRODUCTORY.

OAID D. S. Grimes, in one of his valuable contributions
to the literature of Colorado Horticulture: "The culti-
vation of the pear, although much neglected here in Colo-
rado, appears in every particular well adapted to our pecu-
liar soil and climate. Not one case of blight, which is the
bane to pear culture almost everywhere, has yet come under
our observation * * * * The dwarf pear is coming
rapidly into favor. It requires but little room, comes into
bearing early, and will live fifteen or twenty years. • The
term "dwarf," by which pears on the quince root are usually
called, conveys to some minds an erroneous impression. It
is true the tree is dwarfed somewhat by the influence of
the stock, and thus early introduction is induced, but the
trees are not necessarily stunted nor very small, for the
trunk not infrequently attains a circumference of fifteen or
twenty inches. Coal ashes thrown around pear trees is
found beneficial to their health and vigor."

The following suggestions are by Mr. J. H. Newcomb :
"The pear in the eastern states and California is considered
to be fully as, or more reliable, than the apple. It has been
fruited here, but not as extensively as the apple. I most
heartily recommend everyone that is contemplating plant-
ing orchards to at least plant a few pears. That if success-
ful it will bring more money than any other fruit raised, as
California is where most of our pears are shipped from that
appear in our market, and six cents per pound freight is a
pretty good protective tariff for us. The first winter is

•3

34 Fruit Culture.

where the great danger to our trees lie. I would advise the
planting of pears on high, dry ground, early in the spring;
cultivate and work ; give them a vigorous start early in the
season. Do not work among them later than July, so they
can go into winter quarters with well ripened, matured
wood. Do not manure around them at all, as our ground
is generally rich enough for any tree. Late irrigating must
be done if required. If the weeds are too bad, pull them
by hand rather than plow late in the season. Wrapping the
trunks of the trees in November in gunny sacks, not too
thick, just enough to keep them on and the sun from scald-
ing them, I think beneficial."

Some one, whose name we cannot recall, has said that
"pears will grow as well as cottonwoods. I have not lost
one out of twenty-five. A horse ate one to the roots three
times, but it grew up each time."

More attention has been paid to pear culture in South-
ern Colorado than in the northern part of the State; still
there is no reason to doubt their success north of the Divide
than there is to doubt that of the apple. Pear trees at
Greeley have been fruited for several year.s. Mr. A. E.
Gipson writes that they give promise of being a marked
success in the valley of the Cache la Poudre; and if there,
there is no valley on the eastern slope of the Rocky Moun-
tain ranges where they may not be grown.

VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR NORTHERN COLORADO.

BY D. S. GRIMES: Bartlett, Clapp's Favorite, Flemish
Beauty, Louise, Seckel, l^onne de Jersey, Lawrence and
Vicar.

BY A. E. GIPSON : Flemish Beauty, Duchess, Bartlett.

BY J. H. NEWCOMB: Bartlett, Lawrence, Vicar, Flemish
Beauty, Clapp's Favorite, Duchess, Seckel, Buffum, Brandy-
wine,. Louise, Bonne de Jersey.

BY M. N. EVERETT : Louise, Bonne de Jersey.

Pears. 3 5

The following list may safely be accepted as safe, with
our present knowledge of Colorado :

Slimmer — Bartlett, Clapp's Favorite, Osborne Summer.

Fall — Flemish Beauty, Louise, Bonne de Jersey, Buerre
d' Anjou, Duchess de Angouleme, Seckel.

Winter — Lawrence, Winter Nellie, and Vicar of Wake-
field.

SOUTHERN COLORADO.

The following opinions are by residents of Southern
Colorado:

W. A. HELM : I do not doubt the final success of this
delicious fruit in the Arkansas Valley, if not elsewhere. I
have fruited for six years the Duchess, Bartlett and Quince
pear.

JESSE FRAZIER: I have sixty or seventy pear trees,
some planted as long ago as 1868, having trunks ten inches
in diameter. I have one pear, the name of which I do not
know, which is of small size, is a rapid grower, prolific
bearer, and early maturer, ripening the last of July. •

D. M. ROSE: I have had very good success in growing
pears, and I regard Colorado as well suited to this fruit. I
have raised bushels of pears of the 'standard kind. I pre-
fer the Flemish Beauty to most others, as it has long, slen-
der limbs and ripens its wood better than the Bartlett and
some other varieties. Still I have had good crops of Bart-
letts, though some of this variety have winter-killed with
me.

R. T. CRAWFORD : Pears do not do well on very sandy
soil. They need a clay soil. I would recommend the fol-
lowing varieties : Lawrence, Sheldon, Flemish Beauty, Win-
ter Nellie.

In the opinion of the El Paso Horticultural Society,
dwarf pears were deemed unworthy of attention ; they would
not do well, owing to the fact that the bark of dwarf fruit
trees was thin and did not winter well.

36 Fruit Culture.

BLIGHT.

Although at one time, as quoted at the head of this
article-, Mr. D. S. Grimes said that no case of blight had
come under his observation, still we understand that the
pear has already suffered from blight in Colorado, and Mr.
Grimes has remarked, " of pears thus far untouched by
blight I have observed the Seckel, Flemish Beauty, La
Bonne de Jersey, and Lawrence," thus acknowledging its
presence in some other varieties.

Blight is a disease that spreads rapidly, and unless all
limbs so affected are cut off at once and buried or burned,
the whole tree is shortly affected and soon killed. Trees
with a northern and a southern exposure are alike affected.
Blight usually strikes the tree while in full leaf and vigor,
causing the leaves and bark on certain branches to turn
suddenly black and wither.

DESCRIPTIVE LIST.
SUMMER.

Bartlett — One of the finest summer pears known. Large
size ; clear yellow, with often a beautiful blush next the sun ;
tree a strong grower, bearing early and abundantly. Very
popular. August and September.

Brandywine — Tree vigorous, upright and productive;
fruit medium size ; yellowish green, somewhat russeted ;
juicy, melting, sugary and vinous. August and September.

Osbands Summer — Tree moderately vigorous, an early
and prolific bearer ; fruit medium, roundish ; clear yellow ;
juicy, melting, with a rich, sugary flavor. August.

Clapp's Favorite, Madeline and others.
AUTUMN.

Buffum — Medium size ; yellow, somewhat covered with
reddish brown and russet ; buttery, sweet and excellent. A
stout and upright grower.

Belle Lucrative — Medium size ; pale yellowish green ;

Pears. 37

very delicious, rich, melting ; tree strong grower and good
bearer.

Burre de Anjou — Large, noble; russety fruit, of excel-
lent quality ; one of the best ; tree upright ; hardy and pro-
ductive ; large, yellow and brown; juicy, good. Sep-
tember.

Flemish Beauty — Tree hardy ; bears early and abund-
antly ; fruit large ; pale yellow with red cheek ; strong
grower and good bearer; does well everywhere. Septem-
ber.

Louise Bonne de Jersey — Large; yellow and red; juicy,
buttery and melting; excellent; vigorous grower and im-
mense bearer. A fine variety, either as standard or dwarf.
September. -

Seckel — This is one of the best and highest flavored
pears grown. Small ; rich yellowish brown ; productive,
healthy, but slow grower. September.

Sheldon — Medium to large; skin yellowish russet, with
a richly shaded cheek; flesh a little coarse; melting, juicy,
with a brisk, highly perfumed flavor. A very excellent and
promising variety ; tree a fine grower, and productive. Sep-
tember.

WINTER.

Lawrence — Above medium ; yellow, thickly dotted ;
with a very rich fine flavor ; one of the best ; tree a mode-
rate grower, but very productive. October to November.

Vicar of Wakefield — Large, long, beautiful and good ;
not first quality, but desirable for its productiveness ; tree
hardy and a vigorous grower. November to January.

SUGGESTIONS— NEW PEARS.

Prof. J. L. Budd, of the Iowa Agricultural College, has
been experimenting for the last few years with a number of
Oriental pears. These were obtained from Russia, but their
original home was in North-Western China. The winter
of 1881-82 was one of unparalleled severity in Iowa, hence

38 Fruit Culture.

the test of these new pears was a severe one. The variety
known as Sha-Li, or Sand Pear, Prof. Budd does not think
will endure the ordinary winters of the West. The Pe-Li,
or Snow Pear, however, he is of the opinion will stand our
summers and winters as well as do the Russian apples. He
says of the Snow Pear: "The Hon. S. W. Williams, of
Salem, Mass., and others who have spent several years in
North-Western China, assure us that the varieties of the
Snow Pear are globular, white and juicy, and are generally
regarded as the best fruits of the country. The varieties
we have seen are very upright in growth, and their leaves
are nearly as large and thick as those of the Sand Pear.
The surfaces of the young leaves, buds and branches are
tomentose, and show traces of silken threads or hairs. It
has been claimed that William R. Prince grew seedlings of
the Snow Pear and disseminated them fifty or more years
ago. This may be true, but no specimens I have seen have
any resemblance to the true Snow Pear, such as we have
from Moscow and the leaves which we have received from
Pekin. I have much faith in this pear, which is common in
nearly all parts of Northern Europe and Asia."

Prof. Budd also mentions a variety called Kuang-Li,
or Strawberry Pear, from its flavor, which resembles that
berry. It is thought that this is the original type from
which the Bergamots have descended. He does not, how-
ever, consider them as promising as the Snow Pears.

Mr. James S. Springle, of the Province of Quebec, in
a paper on Pear Culture in that extremely cold region, gives
the following as a relative list of hardy pears, and his
opinion is concurred in by Downing, Thomas and Barry :
Doyeune Boussock. Buerre de Anjou.

Oswigo Buerre. Buerre de Capiamont.

The third has already been tested in Colorado and accepted
as a favorite autumn pear. It might be that the others
named would also suit our conditions of climate and cul-
ture. A writer in^the Maine Farmer, commenting on this

Pears. 39

list, adds to it, in addition to Clapp's Favorite and Flemish
Beauty, well tested here, two newer kinds, the St. Ghistam
and Onondaga.

KeiefTr's Hybrid Pear, of which we give an illustration,
is a seedling from the Sha-Li, or Sand Pear, and the Bart-
lett. At the Philadelphia Centennial a prize medal was
awarded the originator for producing a pear "of remarkable
excellence, giving promise of great value." The fruit is
large, measuring ten to sixteen inches around, weighing
from ten to eighteen ounces, and very uniform in size. Color,
greenish-yellow, some russet; flesh white, buttery, juicy .
quality, good ; season, October. It does not rot until very
ripe, and remains firm at the core to the last. They bear
shipment as well as apples. The cut shown was made from
a specimen measuring twelve inches in circumference and
weighing eighteen ounces. It is believed that they are
never affected by blight. We suggest their trial as being
suited to our climate.

PEACHES.

PEACHES in Colorado? Well, not yet. On the eastern
side of the range for fifteen years lovers of this delicious
fruit have tried and tried, and failed and failed, save here and
there, in rare instances, a tree has been guarded and tended
as though it was an exotic.

We well remember our enthusiasm regarding peaches
when we first settled in Colorado. In our Greeley garden
there were peach trees as well as other fruit trees planted
the first season. We do not remember the variety, but that
summer they made a wonderful growth of slender limbs,,
and the prospect seemed fair that the trees would thrive.
The succeeding winter was exceptionally cold ; those who
were here in 1870-71 will remember it. There lay snow on
the ground in the valley of the Cache la Poudre for ninety
days. When the warm spring sun came to tempt the cot-
tonwoods to their emerald robing, day after day we watched
the peach trees, looking for the coming of the welcome pink
blossoms so familiar to childhood's days. Did they come?1
Bare and brown through the bright spring days the branches
stood and never a flow of sap came up into them from the
roots.

" Winter-killed," said dear Father Meeker, as he looked
at them one April morning. Yes, that was the story.
Later, new shoots came up in bewildering profusion and that
second summer our peach bushes grew rank. But the suc-
ceeding winter killed them down again, and we came to the
discouraging couclusion that peach culture in Colorado-
would never be a brilliant success.

Peaches. 41

This was ten or twelve years ago, and, unless the new
fruit region in Grand Valley, on the western border of our
State, of which we are beginning to hear praises and to
which enthusiastic fruit growers are turning their attention,
should prove more kindly than have the valleys on the
eastern slope of the range, we must still look elsewhere for
peaches.

Still, let us hear those who have had more or less ex-
perience, though the number is but few. We may say that
we are only on the border-land of experiment with the
peach, and the day may come when its culture will be as
easy as is that of the potato.

George W. Webster, of the St. Vrain Valley, thinks
peaches cannot be successfully raised in Colorado, on ac-
count of the trouble required to cultivate and care for them.
He says : " If you keep them trimmed low, pack straw in
between the limbs in winter time, and then tie a rope around
the tree so as to keep the straw from blowing away, then,
perhaps, you may raise peaches. But this takes more time
and trouble than the peaches are worth. Some day we may
find a hardy kind that will do. Our climate is changing;
has changed much since I came here, and may change so
peach-raising will be easy and profitable."

This, it will be seen, is not encouraging. In Southern
Colorado, in the valley of the Arkansas, they are likely to
grow, if anywhere on the eastern slope. We have visited
various gardens and orchards in this valley, and have seen
peach trees; but they cannot be said to have been in a
thriving condition. In the garden of Mr. Anson Rudd we
found quite a number growing, and questioning him as to
varieties found that they were mainly seedlings. He had
twelve varieties, all apparently doing well ; some had fruited.
He favored starting from seed, rather than introducing young
trees, believing that they will acclimate better and not win-
ter-kill so readily. He found the trouble to be this: the
late warm fall weather brings out the peach buds, develop-

42 Fruit Culture.

ing them to such an extent that they become frozen later
in the season. Still, he thinks that peaches will average
with the Middle States, and should be given more attention
in Colorado.

Mr. D. M. Rose, in the Fontaine qui Bouille Valley, a
few miles south of Colorado Springs, has some fifty trees on
his place, entirely seedlings ; some of these have fruited for
the last four years, producing very good peaches.

Mr. D. S. Grimes and Mr. J. H. Newcomb give each a
list of varieties probably adapted to our climate ; but as there
are only three named by both, we hardly think it will be
safe to name the entire list. The three they agree upon are
Hale's Early, Crawford's Early and Crawford's Late.

PLUMS.

TT is not generally known," said D. S. Grimes, in an article
on the Fruits and Flowers of the Rocky Mountains, pub-
lished last year, " that the largest fruit of the native or wild
plum is found growing in the mountains and valleys of
Colorado and Wyoming. Since we first came to this coun-
try ten years ago, our attention has been often directed to
the superior quality of both natural and cultivated fruits.
Many varieties of the wild plum found here are inferior and
unworthy, but once in a while we find among these inferior
kinds one that deserves more than a passing notice. In the
valleys of the Arkansas, Platte, Boulder and St. Vrain, we
have seen varieties of purple-red and yellow plums double
the size of the Wild Goose or Miner, with small seed, firm
rich flesh, apparently filling the bill of this delicious fruit,
plum full.

" In. our wanderings along the upper Arkansas we came
upon a variety of the plum differing widely from anything
we have ever before seen or heard of. This plum was very
large, roundish, the skin smooth but spotted with bright red
and yellow spots. In this group were eleven trees. The
parent or largest tree, measuring six inches in diameter, and
about eight feet in height. The branches of all the trees in
this group put on a pendulent drooping or weeping charac-
ter. Whether this drooping of the limbs was owing to the
bearing of heavy crops of fruit, the altitude or was the nat-
ural growth of the tree we are unable to say, the tree

44 Fruit Culture.

being a dwarf with a symmetrical and weeping head laden
with rich, ripe, spotted fruit as we saw it. Could it be trans-
ferred from its alpine home and retain these peculiar char-
acteristics, it would, indeed, be a valuable acquisition to
horticulture. The time will come when the origin of some
of our finest fruits and flowers will be traced to the Rocky
Mountains. The famous Weaver Plum — first found grow-
ing near Cedar Rapids, Iowa — was doubtless carried there
from the Black Hills by the Indians. The same variety is
found in several localities near Custer City and Dead-
wood."

Plums, therefore, are natives of our country, growing
wild among the mountains and among the foothills, but
notwithstanding this fact, the old settler as well as the ten-
derfoot seems to question the practicability of raising plums
here. It makes but little difference with the plum whether
the soil is rich or poor, wet or dry, cold or hot. It will
stand more neglect and exposure and do better than any
other tree. The only difficulty experienced in the cultiva-
tion of the plum is the curculio. The depredations of this
pest make the foreign varieties often unprofitable.

The Miner, Wild Goose, Weaver and Lombard are of
the Chickasaw, or native varieties, and are seldom troubled
with the curculio. There are remedies, however, for the de-
struction of this enemy of the plum, as well as for other
insects injurious to fruit culture.

The following is by R. T. Crawford, in an address be-
fore the El Paso Horticultural Society at a meeting when
the plum was the subject of discussion :

" Plum growing in Colorado is as yet in its infancy,
although in some sections of the State there are many trees
in bearing. It attains its greatest perfection here, as it is
entirely free from disease, and the curculio has never made
its appearance.

" I do not think that all varieties can be grown here in

Plums. 45

El Paso County, but am convinced that the hardier sorts
can, such as the Lombard, Gueye, Yellow Egg, Wild Goose
and Miner. The last two are improved varieties of the
Chickasaw, or wild plum.

" I am most favorably impressed with the Lombard,
having some twenty fine trees growing on our place. These
are perfectly free from blemish, thebark looking as if it had
been rubbed and varnished, and the growth has been rapid
and exceedingly healthy. I think they will pass through the
winter uninjured. There are several parties who have
planted the cultivated sorts and they are doing well, but
know of none that have yet fruited, the Lombard and the
Gueye being the principal varieties. Of the native plums
there are many trees in bearing here. The fruit of some is
said to be very fine. While I would not recommend the
tender sorts for this climate, I unhesitatingly recommend
the Lombard and Gueye, of the improved sorts, and almost
any of the natives that are worthy of cultivation, as being
safe to plant here, and would say to all fruit growers plant
the Lombard first of all for vigor of growth, hardiness and
productiveness."

Says J. H. NEWCOMB: "The plum attains its greatest
perfection here, being entirely free from disease. The cur-
culio, that dreaded foe of the East, has never made its ap-
pearance with us. The plum, as every one is aware, is
wonderfully productive, producing heavy crops for a long
• series of years. No fruit with which I am acquainted seems
more promising than this."

E. R. SIZER: My plum orchard now numbers 3,000
trees, 700 of them bearing. Since the first crop they have
not failed to bear annually full crops of large, fine, well-fla-
vored fruit. The winter of 1 880-8 1 was particularly severe.
The following did not kill down that season with me, and I
unhesitatingly recommend them:

46 Fruit Culture.

Wild Goose. Yellow Egg,

Miner. Pond's Seedling.

Blecker's Gage. Bradshaw.
German Prune.

D. S. GRIMES: The Weaver, Miner, Wild Goose, Lom-
bard, Jefferson, Coe's Golden, German Prune, are all good
and profitable for both orchard and garden. For orchard
planting the trees should not be over two years old from
the graft or bud. The trees come early into bearing, and
the fruit always finds a ready market. The plum is budded
on peach stock with much less difficulty than on plum stock.
Plum trees budded on peach stock can be purchased of
nurserymen for almost one-half the price of those on plum
stock, and for this reason nearly all the plums sold over the
country by agents are budded on the peach, and are not
sufficiently hardy for the north. Plum, on plum roots, will
stand almost anything, from an Arctic wave to a street cow.
There is no fruit more profitable.

Authorities agree, thus far, as to the entire absence of
black knot or curculio, but it is not to be expected that our
country will always be so favored. Year by year, as fruit
culturists and gardeners know to their sorrow, new enemies
make havoc with crops. It is well, therefore, to be on the
watch, and to guard against allowing their spread, if once
they should appear. Authorities describe the black knot
as "a black, puffy, irregular swelling on the twigs and
smaller limbs of the tree." The sole remedy is to cut off
and utterly destroy all such diseased twigs and limbs early
in the season; if delayed until late in summer it will not
avail ; the tree will perish, as the fungus — if such it be —
attains its greatest development by this time, and has fatally
affected the whole tree.

The Curculio is a small dark-brown beetle with spots
of yellow and black. The most simple method of protect-
ing the crop from them is by spreading cloth beneath the

Plums. 47

trees as far out as the branches extend, and then giving the
tree a sharp blow which will jar off the insects, and, in fall-
ing, they are caught on the cloth. They are either killed
then, or gathered up with the punctured fruit that has
fallen, and destroyed.

Mr. D. L. Tracey, writing upon the subject of fruit
culture, remarks : "On tame fruit I have never seen any
parasitic plant, but upon the wild plum I have seen what I
think is the Dodder plant, but I may be mistaken."

BLACKBERRIES.

]T[HERE is at least one conservative fruit grower in Colo-
rado who is not enthusiastic upon the subject of black-
berries. We introduce the subject, therefore, with the
assertion of Mr. E. R. Cosson that the reports regarding
the growing and fruiting of blackberries in Colorado are so
conflicting that he has some hesitancy in advising their
planting. Three kinds, the Early Harvest, Snyder and
Taylor's Prolific, known to be hardy and successful as far
north as Canada, he thinks would do well in Colorado.
Other testimony on the subject we group together, as follows :

JOSEPH WOLFF : Only two, of all the varieties that have
been tried in Colorado, are worthy of cultivation — the Wil-
son and the Snyder. Some think only the first named is
reliable. It is large, of excellent quality, and can be recom-
mended for the general adaptability to the conditions gov-
erning the cultivation of this sort of fruit in Colorado. The
Snyder is claimed by some to be perfectly hardy, but it is
not.

W. F. WATROUS: I grow the Kittatinny, the Wilson,
the Schneider and the Lawton. I deem the latter a very
prolific variety, and the one most profitable for Colorado.

A. E. GIPSON: The Kittatinny, Snyder and Wilson's
Early are the berries principally cultivated in Greeley.
Each does well under proper treatment.

J. M. COLBURN : We have all heard that certain varieties
of blackberries would stand our winters without killing
down. I do not believe that any variety will. I have set
out the Snyder, probably the hardiest of the blackberries,

Blackberries. 49

but it has killed down with the others. I believe that the
bushes should be allowed to grow without fall pruning.
They could then be laid over without danger of breaking,
and covered. In the spring shorten the bushes and grow
lateral branches.

A. N. HOAG: I grow the Wilson, Snyder, Kittatinny
and Lawton. I never fruited them so long as I left them
unprotected through the winter. I now cover with earth.
They are now succeeding with me.

D. M. ROSE: I give the preference to the Snyder.

MR. CURR: It is the common belief that heavy mulch-
ing and irrigation during fall and early winter will keep
blackberries alive. This is untrue, from the standpoint of
my own experience. I have done so, and lost heavily. I
am satisfied they must be covered with earth or other litter.

HENRY McAusTER : All blackberry canes must be
covered with earth in winter, or they will kill to the ground
in nine cases out of ten. The hardiest varieties need this
protection.

W. A. HELM : The Wilson is a good berry, but it will
not stand the winter without covering. The Missouri Mam-
moth variety will, and is therefore preferable.

E. R. COSSON : The Snyder seems to succeed the best,
thus far, of any variety tried in Colorado. The Early Har-
vest ripens three weeks earlier than any other variety ; it is
as hardy as the Snyder, but not of as strong growth. The
Taylor's Prolific is, from all accounts, a splendid variety,
berries large and melting, without core, very productive,
and said to be hardy.

J. H. NEWCOMB : Wilson's Early is the kind mostly
raised here and discarded to a great extent east for lack
of hardiness, which is of no account to us; the large size
and luscious fruit is what we want, and we will take care
that they do not kill in winter, by bending down and cover-
ing them.

4

50 Fruit Culture.

TREATMENT.

J. H. NEWCOMB : Plow deep furrows with two or more
horses, after your ground has been properly prepared as
you would do for any farm crop, and you have marked off
your distances the other way by which to set ; straddle the
row; if furrow is not deep enough to set your plant as deep
as you would like to set it, dig the holes deeper; set your
plant, draw the loose earth to it either with your foot or
other hand, holding on to the stem with one hand till its
position is gained to suit you ; tread it firmly, and you are
done for the present. Cultivate the same as you would
corn. The pinching back had better be dispensed with on
account of giving them too much stockiness to bend down.
In October bend down and cover entire with earth.

My plan of uncovering in the spring is to take a rake,
go along and rake the loose dirt off to expose part of the
wood, then leave it a few days, after which take the handle
of rake or fork, put it under the curve, gradually working
it toward the ends, then raise it. If you want to still pro-
tect them a while, let the dirt remain, afterwards raking it
level. This will give it a pretty fair start, after which you
can cultivate and irrigate as required.

V 01' '''HP.

7T3RS

RASPBERRIES.

]T[HESE are splendidly successful in Colorado. Northern
and Southern Colorado tell the same story as to their
easy culture, prolificacy and profit. In an address before
the El Paso County Horticultural Society, last winter, Mr.
E. R. Cosson was enthusiastic as to the berry. Others have
also written in its favor. As to varieties, we group to-
gether some opinions from those who have given attention
to them.

A. E. GIPSON : Of the reds, the Clark is the best known,
but the Turner is considered hardier. The leading Black
Caps are the Gregg, Mammoth Cluster and the Doolittle.
They rank in the order given.

W. F. WATROUS : I cultivate the following varieties,,
but think the Gregg the best suited for Colorado. Doolittle,
Imperial, Mammoth Cluster, Gregg, Davidson's Thornless,,
Brinkle's Orange.

A. N. HOAG : My favorite is the Doolittle improved,
which I consider the standard variety for Colorado. From
700 two-year-old plants I have gathered one thousand
quarts of berries. I consider it specially adapted to our
climate, as the bushes stand our hardest winters unpro-
tected.

H. G. WOLFF: The earliest to cultivate are the Black
Cap varieties, which require no protection on the uplands,
and with good cultivation produce abundant crops of fair
fruit. The Gregg and the Mammoth Cluster are the only
two worthy of cultivation in Colorado. The first has grown
berries, four of which placed on a rule measured three and

52 Fruit Cultiire.

a half inches in diameter. The red raspberries are the only
ones that possess in an eminent degree the essential quali-
ties of a first-class fruit. The Turner is the hardiest of all ;
it stands hard winters, produces well, and is easily handled.
Clark and Philadelphia are also good. The Cuthbert is said
to be the coming raspberry of the country.

J. H. NEWCOMB : In a long discussion at one of the
sessions of the El Paso Horticultural Society touching the
raspberry, a gentleman thought the Clark was the best red
berry that could be grown in Colorado. It was tender,
however, and must be buried in the winter. The Gregg
was the best Black Cap.

The following experience by Mr. A. N. Hoag, as given
at a Farmer's Institute held at Fort Collins, covers the
ground so completely that we give it entire :

"As I have been called upon for an article on ' Small
Fruits and Their Culture,' I will say that I can only give
my own experience, which is very limited, being but an
amateur. I have succeeded well with raspberries, straw-
berries, currants, gooseberries, and a variety of other fruits.
Six years ago the grasshoppers left me four plants of the
Doolittle Imperial Raspberry, which were very much in-
jured, from which I have propagated until I have a half-
acre of as fine bushes as you would wish to see, besides
selling about 2,000 plants. Those of my own setting have
been very remunerative for the past two years. Although
the hail of the 24th of last May cut me short at least two-
thirds of a crop, I picked as high as 101 quarts of fine
berries at a picking, which brought me 35 cents per quart
at wholesale. My mode of setting has been varied. Some
of them I set 6x8, others 6x6, and others 4x4 feet apart.
Those set six feet apart are more easily worked and picked,
and, on the whole, are more remunerative. Those only four
feet apart are too much crowded, are unhandy to get among
to pick or cultivate. Still, there are some advantages in
close planting, as the bushes protect each other from the

Raspberries. 5 3

dry winds and scorching sun of July while ripening, and
keep the ground shaded, which retains moisture longer than
if exposed to the rays of the sun, thereby causing the fruit
to fully develop while ripening, making large, fine, sweet
berries, some being fully three-fourths of an inch in diam-
eter. I should not recommend them to be set nearer than
5x6 feet, as the Doolittle is a strong grower. My mode of
culture is to lay them down in the fall and cover with earth.
Although quite hardy, it pays to lay them down and cover.
In the spring — not too early — when all danger of their being
killed is past, I take them up, manure at the foot if neces-
sary, then let them stand until the weeds start, when I stake
the vines to one side, and turned the way I want to culti-
vate them. I run through as many times as necessary to
mellow the ground with a double-shovel cultivator. Should
the ground be too dry I irrigate before plowing. This is
all the plowing they get, but when they get weedy I go
through them with hand and hoe. I irrigate as often as
necessary, using my own judgment when to do so. Rasp-
berries and strawberries require more water on my land
than any other fruit. Raspberries do not require as much
manure as other shrubbery. I also have the Greggans,
Tyler and Mammoth Cluster for black caps. The latter are
worthless on my grounds. I have the Brandywine and
Turner for reds, and like them more as I become better ac-
quainted with them. Also have the Golden Thornless, which
I cannot recommend for general use ; still, I say, plant a
few for a variety."

Messrs. Crawford & Chase, of Colorado Springs, have
two acres of raspberries. They have fruited the following
varieties: Turner, Queen of the Market or Cuthbert, Reli-
ance, Brandywine, Herstine, Belle de Fontenay and High-
land Hardy, of the red varieties ; and Doolittle, Mammoth
Cluster and Gregg of the Black Caps. Their favorites are
the Turner, Reliance, Belle de Fontenay and Gregg.

54 Fruit Culture.

NEW VARIETIES.

Lost Rubies (red). — Will endure, it is said, winters when
the mercury marks twenty degrees below zero. Is of im-
mense size.

Reliance (red). — Will grow and fruit in all kinds of soil,
and gives promise of being more popular. Very successful
thus far in Colorado.

Superb (red). — The following points of merit are claimed
for this: Berries averaging, in the flush of the season, about
six to the ounce ; a rich, sprightly, sub-acid flavor ; bright
crimson color, wonderful productiveness, fruit ripening as
early as the earliest and continuing until late in September ;
strong, vigorous canes and almost thornless ; great hardi-
ness, "having withstood the trying ordeal of the compara-
tively mild but changeful winter and spring of 1879-80, so
destructive to some other varieties, and the long and severe
one of 1 880-8 1, with the loss of scarcely a cane out of
several thousands."

Shaffer's Colossal (black). — Suited to all kinds of soil ;
ironclad in hardiness, surviving severe winters unprotected.
Claimed to be the berry for the extreme wrest.

Souhegan. — It is said of this that the canes are very
vigorous, branching quite freely, with many strong, sharp
spines. The fruit is jet black in color, large size and good
quality, very productive, and ripens one week before the
Doolittle, and with the late varieties of strawberries.

THE HAMELL, of which we give a colored plate, is said
to be perfectly hardy. WTm. Parry, of Parry, N. J., says of
it " I think it will be an acquisition among small fruits, com-
ing in earlier than any raspberry. It stands single and alone
and above all competition. At the present time I think
there is no raspberry that can compete with it in all the
qualities that are desirable for a raspberry."

CURRANTS.

]T[HE currant is growing more and more into popular favor.
It is easy to cultivate; it is constant in productiveness;
it is readily marketed ; its season is a long one ; it has a
long life, lasting thirty years or more when a plantation is
properly cared for. It is easily propagated, and, though
amply repaying good cultivation, will thrive even if neg-
lected.

Here in Colorado, its enemy, the currant worm, is not
yet known. We say yet, because we do not assume that it
never will be known. We hope it will not.

Currants, says Mr. E. R. Cosson, delight in cool, rich,
moist soil, and always do well on the north or east side of
a fence or a hedge. Plant about three feet apart, in rows
four feet wide. Do not be afraid to prune. Six good,
strong branches will produce larger and better fruit and
more of it than a dozen weakly shoots. Mulch thoroughly
and keep the soil mellow, and a large crop is assured. If
the currant worm should put in an appearance, treat him to
a dose of hellebore water — one ounce of hellebore dissolved
in an ordinary pail of water, is about to his taste.

Messrs. Crawford & Chase have several thousand of
currant bushes on their place at Colorado Springs. The
larger part of these are of the Cherry and La Versailles
varieties, with some of the White Grape and Market Queen.

Red, white and black do equally well in Colorado. In-
deed, why should they not, when they can be found grow-
ing wild, yielding large fruit, in our canons and along the
banks of some of our creeks ?

56 Fruit Culture.

It is not advisable to set out bushes in the autumn, in
Colorado. Our own experience leads us to give this advice.
In the spring of 1881 we set out two hundred bushes, whose
growth were not retarded in the least, that bore well during
the season of 1882. In the fall of the first-named year we
set out one thousand plants, of four varieties. The winter
was a fairly mild one ; there was not much wind, and yet
not fifty of the bushes gave out leaves in the spring of 1882.
About 100 were utterly killed. The balance sent up fresh
shoots from the roots ; but our currant plantation has been
set back one and perhaps two years, all because the bushes
were planted in the fall. Hence we say, better heel in and
cover with dirt if you have bushes to set in the fall, than
subject them to our winter climate before any growth has
been made. And this advice, we are inclined to think, will
be equally good if applied to blackberries, raspberries, and
strawberries.

The varieties of currants, being so few, are well known
and hardly need be repeated here. Still, we give the list,,
as to earliness.

Red. — Red Dutch, Cherry or Versailles, Victoria.

White — Grape, Goudoin, Danals.

Black — Black Naples.

NEW VARIETIES.

Fay's Prolific Red, Leiz's Large Black, Golden Cham-
pion.

Though, as before stated, we have no currant worm to-
trouble us, it might be as well to be prepared for such an
enemy by having at hand a statement of the methods used
elsewhere where the worm is troublesome.

Soapsuds is recommended ; and this is simple enough
and easy to be procured. A Mr. Hurlburt, of Portland,
Mich., says he knows by two years' successful experience
that a dash of soapsuds is death to currant worms. " Try
it," he writes to the Fruit Recorder, "in just such strength
as will cure them in a second of time." He uses it very

Currants. 5 7

strong, and after it has served this purpose the rains wash
it down and it acts as a stimulant to the bushes.

We find the following among our memoranda on this
subject, and quote it entire, though we do not know where
to credit it :

" A new, cheap and effective insect remedy is being
tried with good success at the agricultural college at Am-
herst. It is composed of one part muriate of potash diluted
in 1000 parts of water. Applied with a syringe to currant
bushes, cabbages, etc., it is death to the bugs and worms
every time. The mixture is not only a good insect des-
troyer, but even if it gets on the fruit and vegetables we are
to eat, it is a harmless saline, possessing none of the dan-
gerous characteristics of Paris green, London purple, helle-
bore, etc. Moreover it is very good as plant food, and
what falls to the ground is of service in this way. It is also
very cheap, easily mixed and applied. The large propor-
tion of water is necessary because it rapidly evaporates when
applied, and so makes the solution stronger."

GOOSEBERRIES.

Tj^NGLAND is apparently the home of the gooseberry.
"There," says a recent writer in the Canadian Farmer,
""the fine, large, handsome varieties they successfully grow
are almost endless ; but to attempt to reproduce these under
our conditions of climate, would only result in disappoint-
ment and total failure."

Some of these English varieties undoubtedly will do
well in Colorado. We have but little testimony to produce
in this connection, as the general cultivation of this fruit
has not been attempted. But in El Paso County, on sandy
soil, W. H. Bush, of Colorado Springs, has raised berries
of the White Smith and Crown Bob varieties, that for size
and quality are not often — it is said — exceeded in the great
gooseberry districts of England and Scotland.

Mr. A. N. Hoag has three varieties — the Houghton, *
Wentworth and Downing. The Houghton, he says, is hard
to beat. It is very hardy and prolific.

Mr. H. G. Wolff says: The Houghton Seedling is the
principal variety grown in Colorado ; but the Downing,
Smith's Improved and some of the English sorts will do
equally well and pay much better than the Houghton.

Says J. H. Newcomb: The fruit is gaining in popular-
ity and importance every year ; the demand from our moun-
tain towns cannot be supplied for years. The Houghton is
the most extensively planted and perhaps the most produc-

Gooseberries. 59

tive, but there is no reason why we cannot raise the larger
improved varieties of our own and also the large English
sorts, as we are never troubled with mildew here. They
can, by the use of gloves, be gathered in half the time re-
quired by any other variety of small fruits.

SUGGESTED VARIETIES.

Smith's Improved. Oregon Seedling.

Downing. White Smith.

Houghton. Crown Bob.

STRAWBERRIES.

T97E are told by Shakspeare that a garden in Holborn pro-
duced strawberries in 1483. In 1578 the berry was
known as the Wood or White Alpine Berry, because it grew
in shadowy woods and highway sides, wild. As late as
1660 no other variety was known. In 1665 two are found
having names — Virginia Scarlet and the Bohemian, sup-
posed to be the Hautbois. Up to this time no effort to
grow new varieties from seed or by crossing had been made.
The wild strawberry, as God made it, was good enough for
humankind.

About this time Fressaut, a Frenchman, produced a
variety called the Clapperon, from seed of the Wood Straw-
berry. From that time until the beginning of the present
century but little attention was paid to obtaining new varie-
ties. • In fact, not until 1834, when Hovey's Seedling came
into existence, was any progress made in America, at least ;
thes^e, in alternate rows (being a pistillate variety) \vith wild
strawberries, were found to produce a very fine crop of large
and delicious fruit. No\v there are about five hundred
varieties named, while thousands have been raised and re-
jected after a year or two of trial, as unworthy of propaga-
tion or naming.

Strawberries do well in almost any kind of soil, in
Colorado; though light, sandy loam seems to be best adapted
for the majority of varieties. Later we will give a list rec-
ommended for the various kinds of land we have, grouping
them for right and heavy land. It is probable that there is
no soil in the State, except where it is habitually wet, under

Strawberries. 6 1

an altitude of 7,000 feet, that will not grow some kinds ; as
we have known them to fruit bountifully at an altitude 500
feet higher than we have named.

CULTURE.

E. R. COSSON : When the plant arrives, should the ground
not be ready or the weather unfavorable, take them from
the package, loosen the branches, dip the roots in water,
and put them in a cool place away from the sun, wind and
frost. Moist but well drained land is the best for the straw-
berry. Avoid the shade of trees. The soil should be
thoroughly and deeply pulverized, and fertilizers used freely.
The size and number of berries will be in almost exact pro-
portion to the cultivation and fertilization given. In setting,
do not plant deep, but press the earth very firmly about the
plants. Do not plant on a windy day. The earlier plants
are set, the better, always. For hill culture, plant in beds
four feet wide, with alleys two feet wide between them.
Plant in each bed three rows of plants fifteen inches apart,
and the plants the same distance apart in the rows. For the
matted row system, plant in rows three feet apart, and the
plants a foot apart in the rows.

H. McALiSTER, JR. : I prepare the ground for strawberries
with great care, manuring it heavily and digging it over
several times, thoroughly incorporating the manure with
the soil. I set the plants in rows two feet apart and about
a foot apart in the row. In a year or two I allow the plants
to thicken up in what E. P. Roe calls the matted row sys-
tem. The beds are carefully mulched every autumn, or
rather early winter, with leaves or long manure, scattered
very thinly over the whole bed. If properly cared for, a
plant will bear heavy crops for four or five years, although
most growers will find it profitable to renew every third
year. I keep leaf mould or other fine mulching around my
plants during the bearing season.

It is said- that for every runner that is cut off, a fruit

62 Fruit Culture.

stem will form on the old stock, and that as many berries
and of as large a size will be obtained from the one hill as
would have been had the runners been allowed to run over
the bed at will. This has been proven true in Minnesota
and elsewhere, and is likely to be so in Colorado. Varieties
like the Crescent Seedling, that are so profuse in runners,
will stool out wonderfully when the runners are kept off ,~
the more they stool out the more fruit stems ; hence greater
the crop.

The hill system and the row system each have their
advocates.

Joseph Wolff says : I grow in the hill system princi-
pally, three feet between rows and twelve or fifteen inches
between plants in row, removing all runners as soon as they
make their appearance. Grown in this manner they attain
a very large size, are more readily cultivated, command the
highest market price, and pay a larger profit than to let
them run.

Wm. Newland's system is in rows three feet apart and
one foot in the row.

A. N. Hoag sets his still farther apart — four feet be-
tween rows, eighteen inches in the row, throwing up a ridge
to set the plants on so that water will run between the rows.
Cultivate often to keep weeds down, except while fruiting.
The first year he grows onions or early peas among the
plants, the profit of which generally pays for cultivating.

Wm. Newland prefers clay loam to sandy land. He
says he raises more and larger berries on such land. Yet the
rich sandy loam of such sections as the town site and vicin-
ity of Colorado Springs have been found to be. admirably
adapted to the production of the largest and best straw-
berries. At the meeting of the El Paso Horticultural
Society, held in Colorado Springs in June, 1881, thirty
varieties were shown, the display far exceeding that shown
at the fair of the State Society held in Denver shortly after-
ward.

Stra^vberries. 65

As regards irrigation, abundance of water is required
up to and including the fruiting season. All cultivators
agree in this ; the more the supply of water the larger the
berry and the greater the crop.

VARIETIES.

Almost every variety has its faithful defenders. But,
in fact, we can hardly go amiss in selecting among the older
and well-established varieties. The Wilson, as a market
berry, here as elsewhere, can hardly be surpassed. In the
east, among a hundred claimants for popular favor, it holds
its own ; and though we have heard of one grower, at least,
in Northern Colorado who has discarded it to the extent of
giving plants away to those who would take them up out
of his ground, in order to make way for a better variety,
still one is apt to think that this bed of Wilson must have
suffered from neglect rather than because it was an inferior
berry. In the last edition of the Fruit Catalogue of the
American Pomological Society, the Wilson is reported upon
favorably from thirty-six different states, and double-starred,,
or highly recommended, in twenty-seven of them. Charles
Downing stands second and Triomphe de Gand third in the
list. After these the following stand in the order named:
Kentucky, Longworth's Prolific, President Wilder, Green
Prolific, Agriculturist, Hovey's Seedling, Downer's Prolific
and Nicanor. In Minnesota W7ilson leads the list, followed
by Charles Downing, Downer's Prolific, Green Prolific and
Crescent Seedling.

We group together the opinions of various fruit cul-
turists in Colorado as to varieties, as follows :

H. McAusTER: I would, for this section, select them
in the following order : Cumberland Triumph, Miners' Great
Prolific, President Wilder, Sharpless, Triomphe de Gand,
Monarch of the West and Jucunda. The Wilson and Cres-
cent are very prolific, but are only regarded as good by
those whose tastes have been ruined by rum and tobacco..

64 Fruit Culture.

I think the Cumberland Triumph is the best strawberry
ever grown.

This is rather .hard upon the Wilson, for which we
profess a fondness, though our taste, as those who know
us can easily believe, has not been ruined by "rum and
tobacco."

A. N. HOAG: I name the following as varieties to which
I am partial, having fruited them all to profit : Wilson, Ju-
cunda, Sharpless, Captain Jack, Crescent Seedling. Others
do well with me, such as Metcalf, Prouty, Golden Queen,
Lenning's White and Glendale.

WM. NEWLAND : The Wilson and Jucunda are the best
berries.

H. G. WOLFF: Of varieties there are so many really
good ones that it is difficult to decide which is really prefer-
able. Jucunda and Wilson have proven best with me, so
far as tested, under all conditions. Sharpless promises well,
as do also Crescent Seedling, Glendale, Duchess, and others.
For profit I prefer the Jucunda.

A. E. GIPSON : The varieties mostly cultivated in Gree-
ley are the Jucunda and Wilson. Recently the Sharpless
has come into great favor, and is being largely planted.
The Crescent yields well, but the fruit is not so good in
average quality nor in size as the others mentioned. The
Bidwell promises to be a formidable rival to the others, and
I shall not be surprised if it proves among the very best of
strawberries for general cultivation.

R. T. CRAWFORD : Our soil is somewhat heavier than
that generally found on the town site of Colorado Springs,
being mixed with adobe. During the past season we have'
marketed many thousand boxes of strawberries of the fol-
lowing varieties : Crescent, Wilson, Glendale, Sharpless,
Charles Downing, Miners' Great Prolific, Jucunda, Presi-
dent Lincoln, Pioneer, Kentucky, Duchesse, Black Defiance,
Russell's Advance, Forest Rose, Bidwell, Seth Boyden,
Colonel Cheney, Panic, Great American and Monarch of the

Straivberries. 65

West. During the coming season we will add the Triomphe
de Gand and Cumberland Triumph to our list. We are
pleased with all the above, excepting the Forest Rose and
Panic, which I will discard in the future. At the State
Horticultural Society fair last June we took three first prem-
iums for our strawberries. Some of our Sharpless measured
six and a half inches in circumference.

This last statement we can vouch for, having seen with
our own eyes, in common with hundreds of others, this
wonderful plate of Sharpless berries exhibited by Mr. Craw-
ford, who, with his partner, Mr. Chase, has six acres in
fruit. They are probably the largest growers in the State.

LIST FOR LIGHT SOIL.

Early — Bidwell, Wilson, Crescent Seedling.

Medium — Jucunda, Charles Downing, Miner's Prolific.

Late — Kentucky, Mount Vernon.

FOR HEAVY SOIL. // ^ OF T/f^^fe\

Sharpless, Windsor, Glendale, Duchess. P 7 £ £ g j y ^

WINTER PROTECTION.

The following essay on Mulching, by Henry McAlis"te?7
Jr., of Colorado Springs, read at one of the meetings of the
El Paso County Horticultural Society, so completely covers
the ground on this subject that we give it entire :

" To mulch, in the language of the lexicographer, is to
cover with half-rotten straw or other litter.

" In the cultivation of the strawberry the best results
can only be attained by carefully mulching the bed in win-
ter. It is quite essential that young plants — those a year
old or less — should be mulched; old and vigorous plants,
the foliage of which nearly or quite covers the ground, will
do fairly well, during ordinary winters, without mulching,
but even they are greatly benefited by it.

" The chief object of mulching is to prevent the alter-

66 Fruit Culture.

nate freezing and thawing of the ground, which disturbs or
breaks the rootlets of the plants. This greatly lessens their
productiveness and retards their growth. It should be re-
membered that mulching is not to keep the plants warm,
nor to keep the frost out of the ground ; it is rather to keep
a uniform quantity of frost in the ground.

" It is well not to mulch a strawberry bed until the
weather gets so cold that the ground freezes every night ;
up to that time the plants, if properly cultivated, grow more
or less. Before mulching, the ground should be irrigated,
and it is probably better to put on the mulching when the
ground is frozen. Snow itself is as good a mulching as can
be devised. When the snow disappears the ground will be
in admirable condition for mulching without further moist-
ening. During a long and very dry winter the ground should
be wet once or twice, either by ordinary irrigation or by
sprinkling with a hose. This can be done without disturb-
ing the mulching, otherwise the ground will become so dry
that the plants will be greatly injured or destroyed.

"Almost any kind of litter will do for mulching. Leaves,
which can be gotten in Colorado Springs, Greeley and some
other towns in Colorado, plentifully every autumn, answer
well. A covering of an inch or two of sawdust serves a
good purpose ; but probably the most convenient mulching
is long horse manure, which can generally be obtained for
the hauling. If carefully preserved the same lot of mulch-
ing will do for two years or more. Care should be taken
not to allow heavy lumps of manure to be immediately on
the plants. The mulching should be placed on the straw-
berry bed in sufficient quantity only to cover the ground —
to carefully shade it from the sun's rays. To undertake to
give the proper thickness of the layer of covering would
be likely to mislead, as an inch of sawdust, or even half an
inch of wet leaves raked out of the ditches, would as effect-
ually shade the ground as three or four inches of light,
,oose straw or hay. The object desired is to completely

Strawberries. 67

screen the ground from the rays of the sun, and no more
covering than is barely sufficient to do so should be put on.
In most cases inexperienced persons put on too much, and
by so doing smother the plants. Better not mulch at all
than mulch too heavily. It is well to put the mulching
uniformly over the bed ; on, as well as around the plants.
Whatever is put on must be kept from blowing away by
the use of poles, boards, fine manure or earth thrown upon
the mulching between the rows of plants. Leaves are par-
ticularly liable to be blown off unless thus weighted. In
the east, where material for mulching is sometimes scarce,
earth is frequently hoed upon the plants as a protection.
This answers a purpose, but it is troublesome to remove in
the spring. The winter mulching should remain on the
strawberry until the plants start to grow in the spring.

PROFIT IX STRAWBERRIES.

After the first year, the following is a fair estimate][of
the profit in raising berries. :

ONE ACRE— EXPENSE.

Irrigation and Cultivation $50 00

Picking— 2,5(X) quarts at 2% cents G2 50

Baskets, Boxing and Marketing 50 00

Commission, 10 per cent 50 00

Total expense §212 50

RESULT.

2,500 quarts, averaging 20 cents $500 00

Balance of profit 287 50

Mr. L. K. Perrin, however, who is one of the^oldest
fruit growers in Colorado gives a better showing even*than
the above. He says that $550 worth of strawberries can
be gathered off an acre of ground in one year ; that^it costs
to cultivate one acre about $50 per season ; that three cents
per quart for picking and about ten cents per quart for box-
ing and preparing for market, and that the entire cost^for
cultivation, water for irrigation, picking, boxing and [ship-
ping to market does not cost over $150, leaving ajnet profit
of $400 per acre.

68 Fruit Culture.

Let us see how this compares with the cultivation in
the East.

Mr. William Parry, of New Jersey, gives his testimony
as follows :

"There .are so many circumstances connected with
strawberry growing, such as varieties, soil, climate, location,
markets, and the skill and management of the grower, that
the results of a few cases cannot be relied on for general
rules.

" We have grown over two hundred bushels per acre
here, and realized upward of six hundred dollars per acre
for the crop ; but that is much above the general average.
Having kept a careful record for fourteen years past, of the
yield per acre and price per quart at which our strawberries
have been sold, we find the average to be about 2,500 quarts
per acre, and the price eleven cents per quart in market,
giving the following results :

Commissions, 10 per cent $27 50

Picking 2,500 quarts, at two cents per quart 50 00

Manure 17 50

Use of Baskets 10 00

Cultivation, etc 25 00

Net profits per acre 145 00

Gross proceeds, 2,500 quarts at 11 cents $275 00

These figures, compared with ours, speak for themselves,
and need no comment of ours to "point the moral or adorn
the tale" of strawberry culture for profit in Colorado versus
the East.

This fine, showy and hardy grape was originated from seed by John Pocklington, at Sandy

Hill, Washington Co., N. Y. Is an iron-clad variety, having large leathery foliage,

(identical with that of the Concord,) which will not mildew in the most ad-

verse seasons. The vine is a strong grower and very hardy; clusters

large and showy, weighing as much as one pound each.

Quality sweet and good. Ripens with the Concord.

GRAPES.

INTRODUCTORY.

]T[HE grape, like the apple and the fig, appear in history
away back into that past era of which we have but
faint glimpses in human records. It does not appear in the
narrative connected with the Garden of Eden, and this may
be set down to its credit. It was very much later in the
chronology of the earth that the fruit of the grape made
trouble in the family of Noah. Subject to abuse it can
work injury; but its proper use makes it one of the bless-
ings conferred upon mankind by an indulgent Creator.

It is not within our present purpose to go into a detailed
history of this luscious fruit. By way of introduction it
might not be amiss to name the various species as follows :

Vitis Labrusca. — This is the ancient Latin name for the
Wild Vine. From this species have come the table grapes
of the North, such as the Concord, Catawba, Ives, Martha,
Champion, Niagara, Pocklington, Prentiss.

Vitis sEstivalis is the summer grape, whose home is in
Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas, and the Indian Territory. Cyn-
thiana and Herbemont belong to this species.

Vitis Cordifolia designates the family of grapes to which
the Clinton and Elvira belong.

These two last are the true wine grapes.

Vitis Vulpina is the Southern grape, of which the Scup-
penong is the type.

Vitis Vinifera, the foreign or California varietie s.

In an address before the El Paso Horticultural Society
last winter, on the Care and Culture of the Grape, Mr. W.
M. Gumm made the following remarks : " Here in Colorado

70 Fruit Culture.

grape growing is yet in its infancy, but I firmly believe that
in time, on the banks of our streams and in the foothills,
we have a section that will rival many of the now considered
favorable locations, even California itself. Our State should
become the most favored vineyard of the world, for all along
our streams they are found growing in great profusion —
along the banks of the Platte, Arkansas and Big Thompson
rivers, and Fountain, Cherry and Grape creeks ; also in the
canons and mountain gulches."

CULTURE.

V. DEVINNY : Upland soil is best for grapes. It must
be deeply and well ploughed, thoroughly pulverized and
smoothed by harrowing or rolling. If the soil is old and
worn out, well rotted stable manure should be applied ;
fresh manure should be avoided. Put bones in the holes
prepared for the vines, if possible, for their needed supply
of phosphates. Set vines in rows eight feet apart, several
feet apart in the row.

R. T. CRAWFORD : I prepared the ground for my vine-
yard in the following manner : Holes two feet square and
three feet deep were dug, in rows eight feet apart and six
feet apart in the rows. In these holes were first put about
nine inches of broken bones, upon which was put about
three inches of well-rotted manure. Then the holes were
nearly filled with surface soil, leaving a mound in the centre
upon which the roots of the vine were spread, in as natural
a position as possible. The holes were then filled up, leav-
ing the crown of the vine on a level with the surface.

A. N. HOAG: My grapes are set 8x8 feet and I cover
with earth where the vines are small, but when too large "I
lay them on the ground, laying anything which comes handy
on them to hold them down.

J. WOLFF : With the grape don't make the mistake of
planting on low, moist ground to save the trouble of irri-
gating. They should be planted on dry ground so that the

Grapes. j \

water may be withheld when the fruit is ripening so as to
insure early maturity.

J. H. NEWCOMB: Plow furrows where you want your
grapes; if not deep enough dig your holes the same as
recommended for apple trees and treat the same way.

NO MILDEW KNOWN IN COLORADO.

Says VALENTINE DEVINNY : Owing to the structure
and nature of the leaf of the grape vine it is especially sub-
ject to mildew, mould, rust or smut, all of which are synon-
omous terms for various forms of a parasitic plant, living
upon what it infests. Mildew is brought into existence and
propagated by a moist atmosphere and is destroyed by a
dry one. Therefore mildew, and especially grape mildew,
can not exist to any great extent, if ever, in our Colorado
climate. Though a cultivator of grapes for over twelve
years, yet I have never seen rust or mildew in my vineyard.
This goes to show that we possess one of the best climates
in the world for grape culture ; a climate not only suited to
the hardy coarse sorts, of the fox grape variety, but the
finer foreign sorts also, such as the Muscats, Hamburg and
and Chasselas' Frontignans.

GOOD EFFECTS OF IRRIGATION.

V. DEVINNY : The grape requires less water than almost
•any other fruit. It is a notable fact, which thus has a direct
bearing upon this matter, that all grape-growing districts
throughout the world noted for the production of grapes or
wine in their perfection, are . favored by an arid climate
where agriculture is pursued in whole or in part by the aid
of irrigation. The famous wine districts of France, Italy
.and Germany are located within, or are adjacent to, arid re-
gions made fertile by a grand and extensive system of irri-
gation. The arid regions of Spain produce wines and raisins
of world-wide fame ; so also in Australia and in our own
.sister State of California, we find the most magnificent

72 Fruit Culture.

grapes to be grown only in the more arid regions that are
dependent entirely upon irrigation.

PRUNING.

WM. M. GUMM : On the subject of pruning, I would
say that many of the amateur growers do not understand
or do not avail themselves of the advantages to be gained
by summer pruning. My theory is not to let too much
wood grow, cutting away the lateral shoots and training to
one, two, three or four branches which, by thus being given
the full strength of the roots, will rapidly grow in strength
and stockiness.

J. H. NEWCOMB : I think the trimming can be attended
to if adopted early in the spring, when the leaves start, by
pinching back with thumb and finger, and during the grow-
ing season not using the knife at all ; where they are wanted
for trellis or arbor, keeping to a single cane the first two years
or more, then starting from the main cane to suit the party's-
taste.

V. DEVINNY : Grow but one cane the first season ; late
in the fall prune down to within six inches of the ground ;
next season allow two canes to grow, rubbing off all sum-
mer shoots that start, also those side shoots on the two canes
for a distance of two feet at least upward, not only that they
may ripen their wood but that they may become stronger.
On strong vines one bunch of grapes may be allowed to
grow the second year without injury to the vines. Prune
the two canes at the end of the second summer down to two
eyes each; from these four buds grow four shoots which
should bear fruit if the vine .is thrifty.

TRAINING.

Vines are allowed to run on the ground, in Colorado,
and but little, if any, training is done. J. W. Cook, the
veteran grape grower on Ralston Creek, says this is the
natural and only way. It must be admitted that it is an

Grapes. 73

easy and cheap way — some might say a lazy man's way.
Still, thus far it is the prevailing method, though here and
there, both in Northern and in Southern Colorado, we have
seen trellised vines bearing nobly.

MR. VALENTINE DEVINNY says: Neither rust, rot nor
mildew result from untrained vines in this State, hence this
expensive labor is avoided. There is also an apparent ad-
vantage in allowing grape vines to run upon the ground
which is worthy of mention. As the fruit rests upon or
hangs near the earth's surface, it gets all the benefits of the
radiated heat during the cold nights that prevail in Colorado
during the period of ripening. This is breathed upon and
through the fruit, which hangs beneath a thick coat of leaves
which confines it like a blanket. Thus is the fruit hastened
in ripening by greater warmth during the cold nights.

WIXTER PROTECTION.

V. Devinny in 1879 furnished to the columns of the
Colorado Farmer several papers on the cultivation of the
grape, in which he claimed the honor of having been the
first to publish and suggest winter protection to the grape
vine by covering with earth, thereby revolutionizing the old
system of culture. By means of this new method he feels
sure that Colorado will be made as famous for its grapes and
wine as it is now for its gold and silver.

WM. M. GUMM : As far as my experience has taught
me I think that the vines should be laid down early in the
fall to secure a crop.

W. A. HELM : Vines must be buried, however, in win-
ter. I stake them in the growing season, then lay them
down and cover them with at least a foot of dirt, keeping
them so until all danger of spring frosts is over.

HENRY MCALLISTER, JR : In early winter I remove the
vines from the trellises, prune back, but not closely, cover
them with earth and cut back quite heroically in the spring
when the covering is removed.

74 Fruit Culture,

J. H. NEWCOMB : In the fall lay them down and cover
with dirt If not actually necessary they will richly repay
the trouble for the first year or two in starting and growing
more vigorously. When once established, they will nearly
take care of themselves.

V. DEVINNY : We must protect our grape vines from
the drying effects of the air, as well as from severe freezing.
The object to be obtained, therefore, in protection is to keep
the vines moist during their winter rest and protected from
excessive frost and repeated thawing and freezing. Noth-
ing is better as a protection than earth, either dry or moist,
banked up high around the vines, to be left until early spring,
when the earth should be carefully removed.

There is, however, at least one person in Southern
Colorado who does not cover his vines in winter. It is Mr.
Anson Rudd, of Canon City, who has quite a number of
grape vines of long standing. These he grows upon trel-
lises, and has never laid down and covered in winter. He
has a grape arbor that reminded us of those familiar to and
connected with our earlier life in New York State.

TESTED VARIETIES.

E. R. SIZER: This year (1881) my Concord grapes
drove all other grapes from our market. While they lasted
the people would have no others. They said my fruit was
thinner skinned, sweeter and more tender than California or
Kansas grapes. I sold grapes at the hotels at West Las
Animas to pilgrims from Kansas City who said I must be
mistaken, they were too good for the Concord grape.

W. A. HELM : Though the Concord and the Martha
do well, the Salem is the finest grape that can be grown in
Colorado. It is a late starter, but ripens as early as the
Concord. It is a cherry colored grape and ought to be
planted in every garden.

ANSON RUDD: The Concord, Isabella, Hartford Prolific

Grapes. 75

and Union Village are those I favor most, though my belief
is strong that every variety known can be grown here.

HENRY MCALLISTER, JR.: I have grown quite a crop of
Concord grapes. I recommend the earliest ripening kind,
such as Pocklington and Moore's Early, especially the lat-
ter. None that ripen later than the Concord should be
grown.

E. R. SIZER : I have now in bearing 1,225 Concord
vines and 100 Creveling. I have also planted 1,000 Martha
and i ,000 Catawba.

J. H. NEWCOMB : Persons wanting varieties that ripen
later than the Concord will fail with the crop.

J.WOLFF: Care should be -taken in. the selection of
hardy varieties, such as the Concord, Hartford, Martha and
Delaware.

O. O. KENT : No grape as late as the Concord will do
well on the clay soils of Colorado. The lona is a late grape
.and therefore undesirable. The best grapes for Colorado,
in my opinion, are the Delaware and the Clinton.

COLORADO FARMER : J. H. Newcomb brought us in to-
day— Sept. ist. — some sample bunches of thoroughly ripe
Delaware grapes. Also a new variety (foreign), the Early
Madeline, which is a small black grape, but of delicious
flavor, very compact on the bunch, and from its early ripen-
ing will, no doubt, prove a valuable grape for Colorado.

A. E. GIPSON : So far the Concord, Hartford, Delaware,
Martha and lona have done well with me.

J. H. NEWCOMB : The Crevelling is the best black grape
for Colorado.

A. N. HOAG : I have fruited the Martha, which I think
will in time supercede all others, it being very sweet and
early. I put the Concord, Delaware, Clinton and Martha
in the front rank out of nineteen varieties that I have in cul-
tivation. I have about an acre of five year old vines.

W. A. HELM : I prefer the Salem for Southern Colo-
rado. It is a strong growing vine, with a broad, clear leaf

76 Fruit Culture.

and beautiful, abundant clusters of fruit, whose flavor can
best be described as that of distilled rose water.

E. J. HUBBARD : I grow Concord, Talman, Hartford
and Ives' Seedling. . The Talman ripens August' i/th with
me and is in every respect perfect. I think, however, that
the Concord is more particularly adapted to the soil and
climate of Southern Colorado than any other variety.

PERRY WHITE : I have some five or six hundred vines,,
mostly Concord, some Delaware, and some Rogers No. 15.
I consider the Concord the best grape as far as yield is con-
cerned, the grapes being large and the clusters full. The
Delaware, however, is the sweetest grape.

VALENTINE DEVINNY: I place the following in the order
of their excellence with me: Chasselas, Delaware, Cham-
pion, Massasoit, Black Hamburg, Croton, Martha, Brighton.
The Hartford Prolific, Crevelling and Ives do not do well
with me on clay soil.

G. W. WEBSTER : The Concord grape proves by far the
best for Colorado. It is the grape for the million. The
Hartford Prolific is a standard. The Clinton for a sour
grape is recommended.

FOREIGN VARIETIES.

V. Devinny claims that the foreign varieties, Vitis Vini-
fera, such as the Chasselas, Frontegnans, the Muscats, etc.,
etc. are to be the market grapes of Colorado. He says :
" These noble sorts never mildew nor rot in the pure, health-
ful air of our climate, and as they are far superior in quality
and flavor to any other, they are a great acquisition, and
will, in the not distant future, be produced in vast abundance
for home consumption and export."

W. A. Helm has over sixty bearing vines. In addition
to the Concord and other Eastern grapes, he has grown for
several years four California varieties, the Muscatel, Rose of[_
Peru, Sweet Water and White Chasselas, all white except
the Rose of Peru. These have been in bearing for the last

Strawberries. 77

four years and he says they will undoubtedly do well in
Colorado.

At Fountain City, twelve miles south of Colorado
Lprings, much attention is being given to fruit culture,
and much fruit is being raised there. Mr. O. S. Loomis,
has been quite successful in growing grapes. He thinks
Southern Colorado will become a great grape country. He
not only grows the hardy grapes of the labrusca varieties,
but has succeeded well with some of the vinifera. Last
season he had quite a quantity of Muscat grapes. He al-
ways buries his vines carefully in winter.

Mr. J. H. Newcomb, in an address before the El Paso
County Horticultural Society, in October, 1881, gave it as
his firm belief that the best of the foreign varieties that
could be grown in Colorado is the Chasselas de Fontainbleu.

Mr. V. Devinny is a firm believer in the ultimate suc-
cessful culture of the foreign varieties in this State. He
gives the following list of those that promise well in his
vineyard: Sweet Water, Chasselas Fontainbleu, Chasselas
Musque, Black Hamburg, Black Madeline. These are all
early varieties — earlier than Concord — ripening fruit as early
as the Delaware.

SUGGESTED NEW GRAPES.

Among the new varieties of great merit, Mr. E. R.
Cosson recommends the following:

Duchess — One of the most promising and rich flavored
of the new white grapes. Ripens between Delaware and
Concord ; foliage healthy ; vine very productive and per-
fectly hardy. Has stood unprotected, with mercury 24^
degrees below zero, without injury.

Early Victor — This variety is one of the hardiest of
the Labrusca type, vigorous in growth and very productive.
One week earlier than Moore's Early, and greatly superior
to it in flavor and quality. Reliable and certain in fruiting.

78 Fruit Culture.

I firmly believe that this will prove to be the best black
grape yet introduced into Colorado.

Pocklington (see plate). — Will succeed where the Con-
cord does. It is the most popular of all the new varieties,
of hardy grapes. It is claimed that it has never been in-
jured by cold, although it has stood a temperature of 34
degrees below zero.

Prentiss — A splendid white grape. Vine a good grower,
very productive, hardy, buds having stood uninjured with
thermometer fifteen to twenty degrees below zero. An ex-
cellent keeper. Ripens with the Concord. Is well worthy
to be classed among the best.

Vergennes — An amber-colored grape; clusters large,,
flavor rich and delicious ; ripens with Hartford Prolific; ex-
cellent keeping qualities. Vine hardy, a strong, rapid
grower ; has been known to make fifteen feet of wood in a
season. This grape possesses many good traits and is
worthy of an extended trial in Colorado. It is claimed that
two-year vines generally fruit the next season after trans-
planting, which is worthy of great consideration, if true.

Warden— Fast growing into favor in Colorado. One
of the best new grapes of the Concord variety. Large in
bunch and berry ; very handsome ; in every way superior
to the Concord ; earlier and more hardy and vigorous.
Ripens with the Hartford. I heartily recommend it for
Colorado.

FRUIT LANDS.

IN THE GRAND RIVER COUNTRY.

IjlRUIT growing, it is thought, will be a prominent indus-
try in Grand River Valley, as it lies in the same belt with
the best California and Utah fruit-growing sections. The
altitude is 4,500 feet, and the climate is one of the best
But twice did snow fall at Grand Junction during the winter
of 1881-82. Water is found at a depth of 30 to 40 feet,
coal adjoins the town site, lime and sand rock are abundant,
and it would seem as if this fair town had a bright future
before it as the center of a fruit and grain growing country.
When we look at Greeley, Fort Collins, Longmont, and re-
member what they were ten years ago, we can well imagine
that towns as fair and prosperous and communities as thriv-
ing and as happy will be found in the next decade in this
valley where of late only the dusky Indian's feet were
treading, and his gutteral voice was heard, making discord-
ant echoes in the wilderness. Now the early morning light
of pioneerism is breaking over the valley, to be followed
shortly by the bright beams of the rising sun of civilization.
In an article on the Fruit Lands of the Future, written
by D. S. Grimes, and published in the Colorado Fanner,
September 2ist, 1882, he says: "The new Colorado, of
which the fertile valleys of the Uncompahgre, Gunnison
and Grand rivers form a part, offer to the fruit grower ad-
vantages in markets, soil, climate and water found nowhere
else in the .State. In the Grand River Valley especially,
peaches, quinces and apricots can be grown, as well as
apples, pears, plums, cherries and small fruits. In the cul-

8o Fruit Culture.

tivation of the grape we find here in soil and climate, con-
ditions highly favorable to the growing and ripening this
delicious fruit. The supply of water for irrigation, which is
already causing serious apprehension in the minds of farmers
living along the streams that flow east from the mountains,
is in those western rivers inexhaustible. Here we have more
rain fall in summer, and more snow fall in the mountains in
winter. Thriving springs of pure water abound everywhere
in the mountains. The rivers are deep, rapid running
streams, carrying a large volume of water through the
whole season, affording without stint all the water needed
for irrigation — a valuable consideration to the Colorado
farmer and fruit grower.

" The soil is rich in all the elements of vegetable pro-
duction, and being of a light, ashy color, the heat of sum-
mer has not the scorching power as upon dark-colored soils.
The degree of cold seldom falling below zero in winter, with
an altitude of 4,500 feet, is sufficient evidence of a highly-
favorable locality for fruit growing. In considering the
profits likely to be gained by fruit culture on this reserva-
tion, a glance at the map will show that we are in easy
access of Ouray, Lake City, Gunnison, Pitkin, Aspen, Lead-
ville, and all the rich mining camps around these thriving
towns and cities.

"The South Park, Eagle River, and Denver and Cali-
fornia roads will all pass through this region of country,
thus opening up a fruit market in every important mining
district in the State.

" With soil, climate, water and cheap lands at the very
door of the best fruit markets in the world, we will now
consider the cost and profit of fruit culture under experi-
enced management, giving the wholesale quotations of fruit
in Denver as the ruling prices, and see what a little money,
backed by honest industry, will do in fruit growing in this
new Colorado. In an enterprise of this kind much depends
upon a correct knowledge of the demands of the markets

Fruit Lands.

81

to be supplied, as well as the manner of planting and culti-
vation. Taking it for granted that after buying and improv-
ing ten or twenty acres we have in cash $500 or $1,000 to
invest in fruit trees and small fruits, we will see what a grow-
ing valuation will lead to in ten years. As a guide to our
estimates of cost and profits we will take ten acres of small
fruit and ten acres of standard fruit, leaving the prospective
planter to combine or divide the quantities as will best suit
the area of land to be planted. Beginning with ten acres of
small fruit our account the first year will stand thus:

10

VARIETIES

OF
FRUIT.

Strawberries

Currants

Raspberries

Blackberries

Grapes

DISTANCE

OF
PLANTING.

3X feet, 1V6 feet in row
4 feet apart each way ...

7 feet, 4 feet in row

7 feet, 4 feet in row

6 feet, 8 feet in row

12,4-15

2,722

1,550

1,550

900

24,890
4,083
2,325
3,100
2,790

$100
150
50
50
150

$500

SECOND YEAR.

1 acres strawberries, half crop, 2,500 quarts, 20 cents $ 500

THIRD YEAR.

2 acres strawberries full crop, 5,000 quarts, at 20 cents 1000

1*4 acres currants, 1,3-50 quarts at 20 cents „*... 270

l\4 acres raspberries, 1,500 quarts at 25 cents ...-„ 375

2 acres blackberries, 2,000 quarts at 20 cents 400

3 acres grapes, 10,000 pounds at 4 cents 400

FOURTH YEAR. ' v \ $2445

2 acres strawberries, 5,000 quarts at 20 cents ...*....'.... 1000

1% acres currants, 4,000 quarts at 20 cents >>,...... 800

1% acres raspberries, 3,000 quarts at 25 cents ?.....,-.... 750

2 acres blackberries, 4,000 quarts at 20 cents 800

3 acres grapes, 25,000 pounds at 4 cents v 1000

FIP-TH YEAR. $1350

2 acres strawberries, 5,000 quarts at 20 cents $1000

1V2 acres currants, 5,000 quarts at 20 cents 1000

1\4 acres raspberries, 3,000 quarts at 25 cents 750

2 acres blackberries, 4,500 quarts at 20 cents 900

3 acres grapes, 30,000 pounds 4 cents 1200

$4850

In an orchard often acres of standard fruit we can also
plant between the rows strawberries, currants, gooseberries
and grapes without injury to the trees; or cultivate vegeta-

82

Fruit Culture.

bles the first six years and then seed down to clover, which
will pay all expense in cultivation.

"With ten acres of standard fruit our account of cost
and profit will stand thus:

VARIETIES

OF
FRUIT.

FIRST YEAR.
DISTANCE OF PLANTING.

Jl

5 Apples .. 25 feet apart each way 69 I 315 $100

2 Peaches 15 feet apart each way 193 I 386 100

Pears 15 feet apart each way 193 I 193 100

1 Cherries 15 feet apart each way 193 ! 193 100 \

Plums 15 feet apart each way 193 I 198 100 I

10 _

No income from fruit until third year.

THIRD YEAR.
2 acres peaches, 100 bushels $200

FOURTH YEAR.

5 acres apples, 75 bushels $112

2 acres peaches, 410 bushels 820

1 acre cherries, 25 bushels 75

1 acre plums, 25 bushels 75

SIXTH YEAR. $1082

5 acres apples, 400 bushels .' $600

2 acres peaches, 800 bushels 1600

1 acre pears, 200 bushels 600

1 acre cherries, 200 bushels 600

1 acre plums, 200 bushels 600

EIGHTH YEAR. $1000

5 acres apples, 1,200 bushels $1800

2 acres peaches, 1,000 bushels 2000

1 acre pears, 300 bushels 900

1 acre cherries, 300 bushels 900

1 acre plums, 300 bushels 900

TENTH YEAR. $6500

5 acres apples, 1,800 bushels 2700

2 acres peaches, 900 bushels 1350

1 acre pears, 400 bushels 1200

1 acre cherries, 400 bushels 1200

1 acre plums, 400 bushels 1200

$7650
Total receipts for five crops of fruit in ten years $19432

" Deducting twenty per cent, of the gross receipts for
expense in gathering and marketing the fruit crops we have
remaining to the credit of the orchard $15,546."

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